Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = R
XOMNUGVAEGVXVGSEMAXEGVF,DLSLAXVGSEMAXBJPBGSF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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- X
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- Z
Expert Cryptograms Set 22
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: X = E
NXBOHSPEXOFEPAX,WKJNXAOQQVJPQGLPCXJRXAVQFKAJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: U = D
JVVUKVFUXHLUQHUHSZXUOSOGAOQVZBKGXOHLUXGYINO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = E
QBHFNUFNHVDNQUHQIKHWFHXHKPQOJHBHYWUVBOVQWOR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: D = E
QKXQXWSOQYMKRXUDNBSWDOAWMRABFDKYAMDSLMJBGJD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: I = E
MNPFPEHXNDCDQHXHXIDNCRIEDXILMNPJWIJFNLTHXIF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- 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)
- “Children are certain cares, but uncertain comforts.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=N B=O C=P D=B E=A F=S G=R H=K I=Q J=M K=J L=U M=I N=L O=H P=F Q=W R=G S=T T=Z U=D V=E W=V X=C Y=X Z=Y
- “We may give advice, but we cannot inspire the conduct.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 378 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=M C=R D=X E=V F=D G=S H=Y I=J J=T K=U L=P M=Q N=W O=A P=I Q=N R=H S=G T=F U=Z V=O W=B X=E Y=K Z=L
- “Good words and bad acts deceive both wise and simple.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=H C=F D=U E=Q F=R G=I H=A I=P J=G K=W L=N M=X N=L O=E P=Y Q=B R=J S=C T=Z U=D V=O W=K X=S Y=M Z=T
- “The dog does not get bread every time he wags his tail.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=H C=P D=N E=U F=D G=Z H=E I=B J=M K=R L=J M=C N=O O=I P=Y Q=T R=L S=Q T=F U=G V=S W=A X=V Y=W Z=X
- “Who would wish to be valued must make himself scarce.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=A C=X D=E E=Q F=K G=R H=N I=Z J=C K=H L=F M=S N=V O=D P=G Q=W R=T S=L T=Y U=B V=P W=U X=O Y=I Z=J
- “You must howl with the wolves when you are among them.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=P C=L D=W E=S F=M G=C H=T I=E J=A K=J L=N M=Y N=O O=F P=U Q=I R=V S=X T=G U=Q V=B W=R X=H Y=K Z=D