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 · 43 letters
Starter clue: Y = T
YKPZKPPUYKNYHZYCCYNAPHZZRMBPJQIYCCANDIXNAQZ.
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
Expert · 43 letters
Starter clue: B = O
VWVJKEQXSCXSEXNVPBNVUEBQXN,IQBLSBIUQBIEBIHXE.
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
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X
Y
Z
Puzzle 3
Hard · 44 letters
Starter clue: H = T
HLCKJXZHRGENCJHRBDNUDUNHRUBHULRQALUTUQQRHGRH.
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
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Y
Z
Puzzle 4
Hard · 44 letters
Starter clue: N = E
VANNFOTMOPBNOPBANFTVAM,SANNOYZT,FDRPDRZBVOPEZB.
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
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Y
Z
Puzzle 5
Expert · 44 letters
Starter clue: I = E
ZRANIFHXYIBIASRJVVYIFNSDVCQJAQNWVITAXSRVJBHF.
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
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X
Y
Z
Puzzle 6
Medium · 44 letters
Starter clue: B = A
BHNBLLDUGMKQZQBMRGHEZKKZLKQBMBOLBMZDMKQZUGMC.
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)
“The sheep that is too tame is sucked by too many lambs.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=K C=O D=N E=R F=X G=J H=I I=Y J=D K=H L=Q M=C N=A O=W P=E Q=B R=U S=Z T=V U=P V=G W=F X=L Y=T Z=S
“Everything in time comes to him, who knows how to wait.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=O C=G D=X E=T F=J G=B H=A I=W J=R K=Y L=K M=F N=M O=Z P=C Q=H R=U S=N T=L U=S V=E W=V X=I Y=Q Z=P
“The fault is great in proportion to him who commits it.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=N C=E D=P E=G F=X G=S H=T I=Z J=A K=F L=H M=D N=R O=J P=Q Q=M R=I S=Y T=C U=O V=K W=B X=U Y=V Z=L
“The early riser is healthy, cheerful, and industrious.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=S C=X D=N E=O F=A G=M H=B I=G J=W K=J L=Z M=Y N=E O=R P=I Q=P R=D S=C T=L U=K V=T W=V X=Q Y=F Z=U
“If the sky were to fall we should catch plenty of larks.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=R C=D D=U E=J F=S G=Q H=K I=E J=A K=Z L=G M=X N=H O=V P=M Q=C R=F S=O T=N U=B V=L W=P X=Y Y=W Z=I
“A sparrow in the hand is better than a crane on the wing.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=A C=G D=O E=B F=Q G=I H=S I=K J=M K=T L=R M=N N=P O=C P=V Q=H R=D S=Z T=L U=W V=U W=Y X=J Y=X Z=E