5 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)
“We should always fearlessly insist upon our rights in the face of the strong, and we should with ungrudging hand do our generous duty by the weak.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1902, Second Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=L B=R C=G D=U E=B F=V G=J H=Y I=D J=S K=H L=X M=N N=C O=W P=F Q=E R=Z S=I T=Q U=O V=A W=K X=M Y=T Z=P
“Men do what is called a good action, as some piece of courage or charity, much as they would pay a fine in expiation of daily non-appearance on parade.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=O B=M C=Y D=E E=I F=K G=R H=C I=L J=P K=T L=F M=D N=Q O=J P=S Q=U R=Z S=B T=N U=G V=A W=X X=V Y=W Z=H
“Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in conversation; but no sooner does he take a pen in his hand than it becomes a torpedo to him, and benumbs all his faculties.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. I. Chap. VII. 1743 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=G C=O D=J E=T F=Q G=M H=X I=R J=E K=H L=U M=B N=A O=C P=Z Q=L R=V S=P T=S U=Y V=K W=D X=W Y=N Z=I
“We must preserve not only the bodies of the unemployed from destitution but also their self-respect, their self-reliance and courage and determination.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1935, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=O B=C C=W D=Z E=I F=H G=D H=A I=P J=R K=T L=M M=V N=L O=K P=E Q=X R=U S=G T=Y U=N V=B W=F X=S Y=Q Z=J
“Most of our pocket wisdom is conceived for the use of mediocre people, to discourage them from ambitious attempts, and generally console them in their mediocrity.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=P B=E C=G D=T E=F F=B G=W H=M I=H J=X K=S L=N M=C N=U O=A P=L Q=Z R=K S=O T=R U=D V=Y W=I X=J Y=V Z=Q