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)
“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=K B=P C=B D=I E=U F=T G=L H=O I=X J=M K=A L=S M=G N=J O=E P=W Q=Z R=F S=R T=N U=Q V=C W=D X=V Y=H Z=Y
“The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight, has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the world.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=Y B=R C=A D=G E=F F=D G=N H=C I=T J=Z K=V L=U M=X N=Q O=K P=O Q=B R=L S=W T=I U=S V=P W=E X=M Y=H Z=J
“Friendship requires that rare mean betwixt likeness and unlikeness that piques each with the presence of power and of consent in the other party.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=U B=K C=B D=P E=G F=I G=X H=Y I=W J=O K=C L=Z M=A N=D O=N P=E Q=V R=L S=J T=Q U=F V=R W=M X=H Y=S Z=T
“Every man's progress is through a succession of teachers, each of whom seems at the time to have a superlative influence, but it at last gives place to a new.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=X B=E C=A D=N E=P F=U G=B H=M I=J J=I K=Z L=S M=Y N=G O=C P=W Q=K R=V S=T T=D U=Q V=L W=H X=R Y=F Z=O
“Every man supposes himself not to be fully understood; and if there is any truth in him, if he rests at last on the divine soul, I see not how it can be otherwise.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=T B=E C=Q D=L E=F F=H G=K H=U I=R J=Y K=M L=I M=N N=Z O=D P=C Q=P R=B S=V T=G U=S V=X W=J X=W Y=O Z=A