A Web game to test your linking skills.

April 11 1998 3:30 AM

Puzzle No. 8: "From Frikik to Free Kick"

Wanna play? Click for the rules.

Seth Stevenson is a senior writer at Slate, where he’s been a contributor since 1997. He is the author of Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World.

This week's puzzle comes from Slate reader and "Six Degrees of Francis Bacon" devotee Tamara Glenny. Here it is, in Glenny's own words:

This one is based on a site that someone linked to in "The Fray" for a joke. The idea is to go from the (dirty) Turkish meaning of the word "frikik" to the official definition of "free kick" in the game of soccer. You start at the Off-Color Turkish page and scroll down to the letter F to find the extra meaning that frikik (free kick) carries in Turkish. [Editor's warning: Some of the language on this page is mildly offensive.] You have to end up at the official FIFA Laws of the Game section featuring the free-kick rule.

Glenny went from offensive kicks to offensive kicks in 15 links. If you can tie or beat that, e-mail your solution (with instructions and URLs) to FrancisBacon@slate.com by noon ET Tuesday, April 14. (All submissions will become the property of Slate and will be published at Slate's discretion. Slate may publish your name on its site in connection with your submission.)

Results will be announced Thursday, April 16, at about 5 p.m. PT, along with a new puzzle. Readers are also encouraged to submit their own puzzles (with a solution path).

Happy surfing!

Solution to Puzzle No. 7: "From Georges Feydeau to Celine Dion"

Last week we challenged you to go from Georges Feydeau, French farceur, to Celine Dion, French Canadian farceuse, in three links. Though no one could beat it, a gaggle of puzzle-solvers tied our score: Michael C. Miller (who did it first), Tamara Glenny, Michele Harvey, Allen Nussbaumer, Joshua Painter (who wrote in all the way from Oslo, Norway), Scott Ruthfield, and P. Vijay. Here's Ruthfield's solution:

This one ended up being surprisingly easy! We start with the fine review of a shockingly funny comedy about eye disease. From here, we go to the bottom to the semi-compass and click Jam! to go to ...

this page. From there we follow the left column down and click Pop Encyclopedia in the Databases category. This leads to ...

this page, which provides links to some excellent artists and also to Celine Dion. Not bad at all!

Congratulations to all our winners. I believe that your hearts will go on.

--Seth Stevenson