Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = T
EBEOZHBBSQFHZTJWG,XDBBSQSQWVBBSWBJHQOBSQCHVI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Expert Cryptograms Set 23
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: P = S
KFPNZSBEHSPSPHKFYZSPPCLH,SDDIDSVZCHSPKFPULDD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: S = T
OQMKTUTMSSKTSFIQXOSKZAXTMZTUWFIQOKYHRYWZOSC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: J = E
VJIVFGHJRFAUVJWNFMAOTMRUJLSJXUUFEJUNFOOJAFA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = O
XJXCZADOVEOVAOPXRGPXTAGDOP,SDGIVGSTDGSAGSWOA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: G = E
IHUKCHUCPPBNGLOIMKCEGDBGMAZ,-NGHIAGMBQGQBAHPB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
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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)
- “It is not the long day, but the heart that does the work.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=T C=W D=U E=I F=L G=Y H=O I=K J=D K=Q L=C M=F N=Z O=S P=J Q=E R=M S=H T=G U=X V=R W=A X=B Y=V Z=N
- “His beard was as white as snow, All flaxen was his poll.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act IV. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=R C=N D=L E=D F=I G=C H=W I=F J=Z K=H L=O M=K N=B O=G P=S Q=M R=J S=A T=U U=P V=X W=V X=Q Y=T Z=E
- “Such an act that blurs the grace and blush of modesty.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=X C=Y D=I E=Q F=B G=W H=F I=L J=P K=H L=K M=C N=Z O=S P=V Q=U R=M S=T T=A U=N V=J W=D X=R Y=O Z=E
- “He who lies on the ground must expect to be trodden on.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=N B=K C=Z D=F E=B F=O G=L H=I I=W J=E K=Y L=X M=U N=R O=D P=A Q=V R=S S=P T=M U=T V=H W=G X=C Y=J Z=Q
- “Everything in time comes to him, who knows how to wait.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=Z C=R D=H E=G F=P G=O H=U I=K J=V K=J L=D M=X N=Q O=I P=M Q=F R=C S=W T=S U=B V=N W=A X=E Y=L Z=Y
- “Angling is somewhat like poetry, - men are to be born so.”— Izaak Walton, 1653, The Complete Angler, Part I. Chap. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=O C=I D=P E=K F=Z G=E H=N I=A J=Q K=L L=W M=T N=M O=H P=S Q=B R=C S=F T=J U=G V=X W=V X=D Y=U Z=Y