Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = E
QMNRXJELCARXCJEH,EHVQEHRMWZRRXCWCYYMQ;RXCNCARZAEYYPDRYCERXCNMNONDHCYYM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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Alexander Pope Cryptograms Set 8
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.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: F = E
KFYRAOLFOUQXFOAYJ,HZRSNNHIAF,XHYJKVOLF;HZUSY,IDOUDPFOUNKFYXFOAYJOUQRAOLF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: N = E
ZQTBPHZBRQLSLJ,YTTKTJHYTEBPNLPTJN,VNLE,PDANYQNYBEA,JTVETYQNEJNLEYQNYQETJN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: M = E
AOUSZTFGNMZLF,UMHUMZNMZTFGNMRUMMQM,IWJAZTFGNMZGOUZ,OFERWJZZJSZTFGNMGUMMZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: R = T
TGVPRCECVM-LMVKDR!GEPREYKTVPRPOCCGF!RAERGVYKPLHMMOCRDHYGDBARVMJDYBPRHNGF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = A
BMQBJIPHQRFWHQBCLEJ,HMILZCLIUXNUXARLXF?LRRDCLM,XHXCLUFWHQ,LXFDCPQXFCMIBLXF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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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)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow; The rest is all but leather or prunello.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle IV. Line 203 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=Y C=E D=U E=A F=G G=Q H=N I=Z J=M K=V L=K M=O N=R O=P P=B Q=W R=T S=J T=X U=C V=D W=F X=H Y=L Z=I
- “Get place and wealth, if possible, with grace; If not, by any means get wealth and place.”— Alexander Pope, 1738, Imitations of Horace, Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Horace. Epistle I. Book I. Line 103 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=K C=X D=Y E=J F=E G=U H=I I=B J=H K=G L=C M=V N=S O=A P=M Q=D R=P S=O T=Q U=N V=R W=Z X=W Y=T Z=F
- “Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 197 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=U C=Q D=I E=R F=W G=Y H=D I=G J=N K=F L=A M=P N=E O=V P=L Q=H R=C S=M T=O U=J V=B W=X X=Z Y=T Z=S
- “Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle I. Line 271 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=V C=Y D=Q E=D F=N G=T H=F I=G J=O K=P L=U M=E N=H O=A P=X Q=Z R=B S=M T=I U=R V=J W=L X=K Y=C Z=S
- “Blest paper-credit! last and best supply! That lends corruption lighter wings to fly.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle III. Line 39 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=G C=P D=I E=A F=Y G=L H=O I=K J=W K=D L=C M=R N=F O=U P=S Q=M R=T S=V T=B U=X V=E W=Z X=J Y=N Z=Q
- “Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land? All fear, none aid you, and few understand.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle IV. Line 261 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=T C=E D=F E=C F=D G=B H=O I=S J=H K=M L=A M=R N=K O=X P=W Q=U R=L S=P T=Q U=I V=Z W=Y X=N Y=J Z=V