Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
AZCAYCORFXUHZAZYXCAP,VFTCZYCCZVWZNYCZXP,YGUTFWZYNXP.
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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- R
- S
- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Expert Cryptograms Set 42
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: S = E
FTXKLCKLJUESASMSZRFVS,EKFGVSPZRDKTADSVHZFGEVKTJFTS.
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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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: S = E
CNSWSYNSWSFPQDYSHRIBFYJYNSWSQSKSWLIQVSZSWESLYBDKS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = T
BEUSCBJCDRUORDUDRGKNZFXUUSNCBUNJKCUIETIEXKEMBQCBZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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- O
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- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
UMHUEQJUEPTCJUOIDHIWDPUEQKXVPEIOP.DPUHJPRCKCTQAPQU.
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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- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: P = E
UGUELMGGSPJPQOPHG,VXGGSPURJPQOPHG,FSMSTKPLPPAMOBMKP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “He that would be healthy, must eat temperately, and sup early.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=K C=T D=Q E=X F=U G=N H=B I=Z J=F K=G L=I M=C N=R O=W P=Y Q=J R=O S=V T=S U=D V=M W=P X=L Y=A Z=E
- “If you would get exercise, go in search of the springs of life.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=T B=J C=W D=H E=G F=I G=N H=P I=Q J=L K=O L=U M=X N=M O=V P=A Q=Z R=C S=E T=F U=D V=S W=K X=Y Y=B Z=R
- “Where there is not equality there never can be perfect love.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=L C=W D=O E=F F=I G=D H=Q I=A J=Y K=V L=C M=Z N=H O=X P=S Q=N R=U S=E T=G U=J V=B W=R X=K Y=T Z=P
- “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=V B=N C=I D=S E=O F=B G=C H=X I=Y J=G K=R L=P M=W N=E O=L P=Z Q=M R=A S=H T=F U=T V=J W=K X=U Y=Q Z=D
- “Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=Z B=X C=O D=L E=H F=Q G=P H=U I=A J=S K=N L=Y M=R N=J O=V P=E Q=I R=C S=K T=M U=T V=W W=B X=G Y=F Z=D
- “It is not the perfect, but the imperfect, who have need of love.”— Oscar Wilde, 1895, An Ideal HusbandCipher key: A=D B=L C=Z D=G E=S F=W G=T H=C I=Q J=P K=V L=N M=O N=K O=F P=E Q=R R=M S=H T=A U=I V=B W=X X=U Y=J Z=Y