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 1
Hard · 46 letters
Starter clue: V = T
VTABAHDOBAMVABSMYHVEMYJXMUBHXAHYVMDVAVTMYHYPHV.
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 2
Medium · 47 letters
Starter clue: J = R
EPPBIRAALJXRABTPSDKLALXXRJLTJPTLJCPJRSSKYLHPJSB.
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
Expert · 48 letters
Starter clue: X = S
XDSUAGUDXQNUPUXQFUXZSJULZFNDTRNZVDXQFEXQXNDTXUSL.
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
Hard · 48 letters
Starter clue: B = E
KBWBBVLMBTQBMSAMQRBPQDPRPQTAWLDDVQGTWBSAOJDMQRWB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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)
“There is greater vanity and caprice in taste than in wit.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=E B=R C=M D=S E=Y F=U G=Q H=I I=F J=D K=X L=O M=A N=L O=G P=W Q=B R=J S=V T=H U=P V=T W=Z X=C Y=N Z=K
“Good manners and politeness are proper for all the world.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=N B=D C=F D=I E=G F=U G=Q H=W I=M J=R K=T L=E M=V N=Z O=B P=O Q=X R=A S=L T=P U=J V=C W=K X=S Y=H Z=Y
“Silence is the best resolve for him who distrusts himself.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 79 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=K C=J D=I E=U F=R G=C H=Y I=A J=V K=Q L=F M=G N=H O=X P=B Q=T R=W S=L T=M U=E V=D W=P X=S Y=Z Z=O
“We need greater virtues to sustain good than evil fortune.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 25 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=Q D=O E=B F=Z G=H H=X I=Y J=F K=W L=G M=R N=M O=L P=S Q=T R=U S=V T=A U=K V=D W=N X=P Y=J Z=C
“Quarrels would not last long if the fault was only on one side.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 496 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=G C=K D=T E=A F=Z G=F H=X I=N J=O K=Y L=M M=H N=C O=S P=V Q=L R=J S=R T=D U=E V=U W=B X=P Y=I Z=W
“There is great ability in knowing how to conceal one's ability.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 245 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=J C=Q D=E E=S F=R G=T H=I I=U J=M K=W L=V M=A N=Y O=G P=N Q=L R=K S=X T=H U=C V=Z W=P X=F Y=B Z=O