Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = O
JWZFSMLDMCWGCJDGK,PSJASUNSYEYJASUNSYUEUZDF.
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
Expert Cryptograms Set 8
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: Q = E
LDIYLZNCYZFDAVWQYRQJQTKTDCQQSAQMCGDTIDLQX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: P = S
ZCQYPGHRFPQGJMZCJFPZCQYPGHR,OXJMZCJBIRCPRP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = O
FGMLJRLJETDSCKXDKTLAGLEELRMLJ,AFCKDFUIBKST.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: V = E
FQARVFEZJRVAQSBKC,FYHSDQNHLDVJLJRVZFVVEBKC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: P = E
PGPOTKZPIMPCRIKXHWPXCSOCIWPWSAIPDXXSZNISH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- S
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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)
- “The dog wags his tail, not for you but for your bread.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=K C=S D=A E=B F=D G=I H=C I=P J=T K=L L=W M=G N=Y O=Z P=N Q=X R=V S=O T=Q U=R V=M W=H X=J Y=U Z=E
- “No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. III. 1776 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=G C=T D=O E=Q F=L G=F H=S I=M J=V K=W L=N M=P N=U O=I P=Z Q=E R=D S=X T=R U=J V=K W=H X=Y Y=A Z=B
- “Handsome is not what is handsome, but what pleases.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=P C=A D=C E=X F=I G=O H=M I=L J=T K=G L=V M=W N=R O=B P=S Q=N R=E S=Q T=Y U=J V=Z W=K X=U Y=D Z=H
- “If you would have the dog follow you, give him bread.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=R C=V D=H E=L F=I G=F H=Q I=B J=U K=E L=O M=Y N=Z O=N P=C Q=K R=W S=A T=D U=M V=X W=J X=T Y=S Z=P
- “Law helps the waking, luck may come to the sleeping.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=I C=G D=M E=P F=L G=R H=C I=Q J=T K=N L=O M=F N=Y O=B P=D Q=A R=H S=K T=Z U=X V=E W=J X=V Y=U Z=S
- “Every one speaks of the fair as he himself finds it.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=J C=A D=L E=W F=C G=V H=T I=S J=U K=O L=G M=P N=D O=R P=E Q=X R=K S=I T=Y U=Z V=B W=H X=F Y=Q Z=N