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 1
Expert · 40 letters
Starter clue: F = E
RFYWHBQBPSUSJFYW,ZYWZKALZQXFYHBUQBPSFYFXQ.
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
Puzzle 2
Medium · 41 letters
Starter clue: J = T
QJQWSCSVBKZZJDSJLKKVWBSJKPJUCKGSPPQKVJUQJ.
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
Puzzle 3
Hard · 41 letters
Starter clue: H = E
CNOCDNFXNFEECOQVHSOVHTTIDFMMTHZHLWHOVKBTS.
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
Puzzle 4
Hard · 41 letters
Starter clue: V = E
XOQNYZXRRHPXBYTPCVSXBV,QNYSYHPMVFBPCVHSVRR.
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
Puzzle 5
Medium · 41 letters
Starter clue: F = E
MWWMFDOMYFFJMBWOMWBLFGHPGBLFGBLOMLJYBFFBL.
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
Puzzle 6
Hard · 41 letters
Starter clue: R = T
HLJUKGTQ'RMWQDQRTRPIJTWRPTORPIKHIIBDQNXTHO.
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)
“Lend to your friend, and ask payment of your enemy.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=O C=J D=W E=X F=E G=B H=T I=C J=I K=S L=P M=V N=H O=G P=U Q=Y R=L S=R T=Z U=F V=Q W=D X=M Y=N Z=A
“It is a bad well that needs water to be carried to it.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=W C=B D=H E=P F=Y G=C H=K I=G J=T K=E L=N M=V N=J O=F P=R Q=I R=Z S=A T=X U=O V=D W=S X=Q Y=M Z=L
“That which is stamped a penny will never be a pound.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=U C=T D=W E=S F=I G=K H=E I=Y J=G K=O L=R M=L N=H O=A P=Z Q=M R=X S=D T=N U=F V=P W=B X=C Y=Q Z=V
“If you will stir up the mire, you must bear the smell.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=R C=H D=G E=N F=A G=V H=S I=C J=D K=J L=Q M=B N=O O=F P=T Q=Y R=L S=M T=P U=X V=E W=K X=I Y=U Z=W
“No one can see into another further than his teeth.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=T C=Q D=C E=D F=E G=R H=F I=Y J=I K=W L=H M=N N=X O=A P=U Q=P R=J S=K T=G U=Z V=B W=O X=M Y=S Z=L
“Lambs don't run into the mouth of the sleeping wolf.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=P C=V D=I E=Q F=X G=D H=L I=E J=M K=S L=A M=R N=G O=F P=H Q=N R=T S=K T=O U=B V=J W=U X=W Y=Z Z=C