Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = O
MZCMJTFRUBKVBAWUHAMSZ,LUSGBKVBAWZAGUWFBWZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
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- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Expert Cryptograms Set 2
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: B = O
XNOUBFXNDXVDHCLWGPNYLIOTOHFBBUKBHNGIXYIF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: D = R
AWCQDERQVRKCHDIIUIUODKWGRPWFQXTVEKD-NDIIU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: W = E
QWXZWCQBNPWUOERPBZK,JZYDIBUYEQWUROEGVQGNW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: M = E
BXMLUVKZWPQWJMHUKARWMH,UKASWEMSOVHBXMLWHM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = T
NQWYHSNQENNEKKOWDBHIZODHINQWJENLQYHKVKWU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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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)
- “Ask advice of your equals, help of your superiors.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=O C=K D=N E=X F=I G=P H=Q I=J J=D K=F L=H M=A N=W O=B P=T Q=G R=C S=L T=V U=E V=Y W=R X=Z Y=M Z=S
- “The dog that barks much is never good for hunting.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=K D=A E=J F=G G=U H=R I=N J=X K=F L=S M=Q N=H O=E P=C Q=Y R=P S=W T=V U=D V=B W=M X=T Y=I Z=L
- “Under the shady roof of branching elm star-proof.”— John Milton, 1645, Arcades, Line 88 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=K C=D D=R E=T F=G G=C H=Y I=O J=Q K=A L=X M=Z N=P O=B P=I Q=E R=H S=J T=M U=F V=S W=N X=L Y=W Z=V
- “He knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.”— John Milton, 1638, Lycidas, Line 10 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=I C=W D=B E=T F=J G=Y H=Q I=U J=A K=G L=X M=C N=M O=F P=S Q=H R=O S=V T=Z U=L V=R W=E X=K Y=D Z=N
- “The rainbow comes and goes, And lovely is the rose.”— William Wordsworth, 1807, Poems in Two Volumes, Ode. Intimations of Immortality. Stanza 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=T C=F D=J E=V F=Q G=P H=S I=Z J=M K=N L=R M=E N=U O=Y P=W Q=C R=G S=L T=X U=A V=I W=O X=H Y=K Z=B
- “The fox that tarries long is on the watch for prey.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=L C=D D=S E=A F=B G=Z H=O I=N J=W K=R L=C M=U N=T O=I P=M Q=H R=K S=X T=V U=Y V=P W=E X=Q Y=F Z=G