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)
“It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the less.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Cunning (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=H C=X D=Z E=F F=N G=I H=J I=A J=T K=L L=M M=W N=K O=Q P=D Q=U R=G S=B T=Y U=S V=P W=E X=C Y=O Z=R
“It is better to sound a person, with whom one deals afar off, than to fall upon the point at first; except you mean to surprise him by some short question.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=E B=T C=K D=W E=S F=Y G=B H=N I=O J=L K=F L=V M=J N=G O=P P=A Q=C R=D S=Z T=Q U=X V=I W=U X=H Y=M Z=R
“There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic. A man's own observation, what he finds good of and what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Regimen of Health (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=W C=D D=L E=N F=O G=K H=F I=T J=M K=Z L=C M=S N=J O=U P=X Q=E R=Y S=R T=B U=G V=P W=Q X=I Y=A Z=V
“There is a cunning which we in England call "the turning of the cat in the pan;" which is, when that which a man says to another, he lays it as if another had said it to him.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Cunning (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=U C=I D=C E=V F=J G=L H=W I=A J=Y K=H L=B M=E N=S O=K P=G Q=O R=T S=N T=M U=F V=R W=Q X=Z Y=P Z=X
“There is in human nature generally, more of the fool than of the wise; and therefore those faculties, by which the foolish part of men's minds is taken, are most potent.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=F B=O C=Z D=W E=U F=P G=N H=T I=E J=V K=R L=Y M=G N=J O=I P=K Q=X R=H S=B T=S U=D V=M W=A X=Q Y=C Z=L