6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Solver's cheat sheet
Most common letters
E T A O I N S H R D L U
Most common 1-letter words
A I
Most common 2-letter words
OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
Most common 3-letter words
THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
Common double letters
LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
Common word endings
-ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
After an apostrophe
T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
“The mind indeed, both when it exercises caution and when it is employed about inquiry, moves straight onward not the less, and to its object.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Y B=G C=D D=L E=V F=K G=X H=S I=A J=E K=Q L=M M=F N=P O=H P=O Q=Z R=U S=R T=N U=C V=J W=I X=B Y=T Z=W
“My friend was of opinion that when a man of rank appeared in that character [as an author], he deserved to have his merits handsomely allowed.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. III. 1781 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=C C=S D=F E=X F=P G=L H=T I=K J=V K=E L=O M=Z N=B O=D P=G Q=R R=H S=M T=U U=Y V=A W=J X=N Y=W Z=Q
“Just as the sand-dunes, heaped one upon another, hide each the first, so in life the former deeds are quickly hidden by those that follow after.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VII. 34 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=Z C=K D=T E=F F=G G=J H=S I=N J=E K=V L=R M=Y N=D O=W P=U Q=M R=P S=A T=B U=X V=L W=C X=Q Y=H Z=O
“It is useful to perceive this, too, immediately when the occasion arises, what virtue nature has given to man to oppose to every wrongful act.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=T C=X D=L E=U F=E G=Z H=Q I=O J=D K=J L=Y M=S N=P O=A P=W Q=C R=M S=K T=F U=G V=N W=I X=B Y=V Z=H
“The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to them.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=O B=L C=Y D=B E=I F=K G=F H=S I=V J=A K=E L=C M=Z N=R O=G P=W Q=M R=Q S=U T=J U=T V=X W=P X=N Y=H Z=D
“We can secure other people's approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it, and no way has been found out of securing that.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=K B=C C=D D=M E=N F=L G=U H=X I=Q J=R K=Y L=I M=S N=A O=T P=F Q=V R=B S=W T=H U=E V=Z W=P X=O Y=G Z=J