5 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.
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)
“If you dissemble, sometimes, your knowledge of that you are thought to know, you shall be thought, another time, to know that you know not.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=W B=D C=F D=X E=Z F=L G=Y H=T I=C J=I K=U L=R M=Q N=A O=M P=G Q=P R=S S=E T=V U=O V=K W=N X=J Y=H Z=B
“A man hath a body, and that body is confined to a place; but where friendship is, all offices of life are as it were granted to him, and his deputy.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=G B=N C=X D=B E=M F=R G=H H=O I=U J=T K=I L=A M=P N=S O=V P=Z Q=D R=L S=Y T=K U=C V=W W=Q X=E Y=F Z=J
“Men's thoughts are much according to their inclination, their discourse and speeches according to their learning and infused opinions.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Custom and Education (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=P C=L D=V E=W F=X G=A H=J I=O J=I K=B L=F M=N N=D O=K P=U Q=S R=Q S=M T=C U=T V=H W=R X=Z Y=G Z=E
“Young men are fitter to invent than to judge, fitter for execution than for counsel, and fitter for new projects than for settled business.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Youth and Age (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=T C=R D=C E=G F=H G=D H=W I=Y J=I K=V L=U M=P N=B O=N P=M Q=K R=A S=Z T=E U=Q V=L W=O X=F Y=S Z=J
“Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words or in good order.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Discourse (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=W C=F D=Q E=K F=O G=L H=Z I=R J=N K=T L=U M=E N=B O=Y P=A Q=C R=S S=X T=I U=M V=D W=P X=H Y=J Z=G