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)
“International peace and well-being, like national peace and well-being, require constant alertness, continuing cooperation, and organized effort.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=D B=M C=S D=H E=F F=Z G=L H=I I=P J=W K=Y L=C M=V N=J O=E P=X Q=K R=O S=T T=Q U=A V=B W=N X=R Y=U Z=G
“All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=D C=L D=E E=F F=T G=Q H=B I=G J=K K=J L=X M=I N=C O=V P=Z Q=W R=M S=O T=H U=S V=P W=R X=N Y=U Z=A
“It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be disturbed in our soul; for things themselves have no natural power to form our judgments.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=B B=K C=E D=M E=N F=U G=I H=G I=H J=Y K=R L=C M=S N=A O=V P=T Q=X R=L S=Z T=Q U=F V=D W=J X=P Y=W Z=O
“Remember that this which pulls the strings is the thing which is hidden within: this is the power of persuasion, this is life, this, if one may so say, is man.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=P B=X C=E D=K E=D F=R G=V H=U I=H J=C K=Y L=G M=L N=T O=N P=A Q=W R=B S=Z T=J U=Q V=I W=O X=S Y=F Z=M
“There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer.”— William Shakespeare, 1592, King Henry VI, Part II. Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=G D=H E=O F=V G=Z H=M I=P J=S K=J L=E M=I N=D O=X P=U Q=B R=L S=K T=A U=C V=N W=T X=Q Y=W Z=F
“No man will hinder thee from living according to the reason of thy own nature: nothing will happen to thee contrary to the reason of the universal nature.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=L B=K C=A D=P E=S F=R G=Z H=U I=F J=Q K=Y L=N M=O N=B O=J P=W Q=H R=E S=X T=D U=C V=G W=M X=V Y=T Z=I