Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = T
BXSIVHOMZIESGIZSWSGLUEVGCI,LHBLUBXSBXJZFJBISOPBXMBJIJZTHJGSCMPBSG.
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 73
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: J = E
KCCOYIMKQOYHFIYBKRBMHZIOMJYVQKXTOYJ,HXVJUJMNFQXWOJMQMFMJHIJYHGOYJ.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = E
ZF,RYLHGMDGFGLJILOMFZHLPXKYZPCLCONUKNXJNALGZ-JZOOZMKFLLOTPYNHGZ-CNU!
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = E
RFVKRNRDLGGXVTKRRMTXORGQDWKHQTBR;LGNXGVSRUYHLGVHDHNRNUDVRKLHTDTDR.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = E
ROXESMWA,HKFWCAXRTMKK-CHVDMRBSIYFOT,FTQBLATOGAGHTQMGBHKFGSHMQAQGFTA.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = D
HWDVIFBZCNGWCTVIY;TIFZAFWEWIF,TQTVIYBNZMGLMFQCWIB,NZMGFWSTGBWFEGVWIF!
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
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 soul answers never by words, but by the thing itself that is inquired after.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=M B=T C=D D=C E=W F=G G=R H=U I=S J=I K=Z L=B M=A N=J O=L P=F Q=P R=K S=E T=Q U=Y V=O W=V X=H Y=X Z=N
- “Illustrious acts high raptures do infuse, And every conqueror creates a muse.”— Edmund Waller, 1645, Poems, Panegyric on Cromwell (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=H C=L D=K E=X F=C G=M H=A I=T J=E K=I L=Z M=R N=Y O=U P=J Q=O R=G S=B T=F U=V V=D W=Q X=N Y=S Z=P
- “Oh, blest with temper whose unclouded ray can make to-morrow cheerful as to-day!”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle II. Line 257 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=J C=D D=I E=Q F=H G=T H=S I=P J=M K=C L=E M=W N=A O=R P=U Q=Z R=B S=V T=F U=Y V=G W=X X=N Y=L Z=O
- “Extremes in nature equal ends produce; In man they join to some mysterious use.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle II. Line 205 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=C C=W D=S E=G F=X G=N H=O I=K J=Z K=R L=I M=Q N=M O=L P=B Q=D R=E S=H T=U U=Y V=T W=P X=A Y=J Z=F
- “Sir Plume, of amber snuff-box justly vain, And the nice conduct of a clouded cane.”— Alexander Pope, 1714, The Rape of the Lock, Canto IV. Line 123 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=T C=B D=J E=P F=A G=C H=O I=Y J=Q K=F L=H M=U N=K O=I P=Z Q=D R=S S=L T=N U=G V=X W=M X=R Y=V Z=W
- “Be kind to my remains; and oh defend, Against your judgment, your departed friend!”— John Dryden, 1694, To My Dear Friend Mr. Congreve, Epistle to Congreve. Line 72 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=T C=M D=K E=F F=D G=R H=B I=N J=L K=X L=J M=U N=Y O=C P=W Q=G R=V S=P T=A U=Z V=I W=E X=Q Y=S Z=O