Puzzle 1
Starter clue: R = E
YAG'VNRXZAGQACNXWFXZRGULRKANRVWRQDNRWDVXWRY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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English proverb Cryptograms Set 3
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: R = E
DVKU'BLFRPCHUVRLEHRDCWWHRORFLREYUEQUVRQWRBV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = E
GCJLPYYRWCJJNSTXIWHSLP,ZNSJLRTGSXXEJOIWHSLP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: J = E
PFJBRFJRZJJYDWWXJQJZATDBEHJXPLRFFLXFDRKFJR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = E
WLAOXNWAG'NACAKSHHFZOZGAKZGMWLXTEZWLLSNLXTFN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Y = T
HRYYHBOYRFDODRZTHBLARWB,NPYIWBLYJZBOGPYRYJPY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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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)
- “Don't reckon your chickens before they are hatched.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=O B=P C=U D=A E=M F=I G=N H=L I=J J=V K=F L=B M=G N=R O=W P=Z Q=Y R=E S=X T=Q U=S V=T W=H X=C Y=D Z=K
- “What's bred in the bone will never be out of the flesh.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=Z B=S C=I D=W E=O F=R G=M H=N I=C J=X K=A L=B M=Y N=K O=V P=D Q=F R=E S=P T=Q U=T V=H W=L X=J Y=U Z=G
- “When good cheer is lacking, friends will be packing.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=T B=Q C=H D=Z E=B F=M G=W H=K I=A J=E K=J L=N M=Y N=R O=P P=G Q=V R=D S=I T=S U=X V=U W=C X=L Y=O Z=F
- “When the tree falls every man goes with his hatchet.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=Y B=N C=P D=A E=G F=H G=D H=O I=Z J=E K=C L=I M=Q N=J O=X P=W Q=V R=T S=K T=M U=B V=U W=L X=S Y=F Z=R
- “The master's eye will do more work than both his hands.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=E B=G C=Y D=V E=B F=D G=R H=L I=F J=C K=W L=H M=K N=S O=M P=Z Q=U R=P S=I T=N U=X V=Q W=T X=A Y=J Z=O
- “Little sticks kindle a fire, but great ones put it out.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=F B=E C=Y D=K E=V F=C G=P H=L I=G J=O K=H L=A M=X N=B O=S P=U Q=W R=I S=M T=D U=Z V=J W=R X=Q Y=T Z=N