Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
CPCTHJMXVJSVVHXLJWLYNWOOWGOPCTYWQWTNMYPWXYVJXWCGTLTS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- F
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- H
- I
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French proverb Cryptograms Set 13
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: V = E
HSVTYOVMEFSOZWTUYVDHJVMOFPOCVHSVFSDEWRWTDIGFS,FWWMUWMV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = O
SJLXZTOIIVEGLWPPSZGLRJEPTGIJECWL'ERIITHJPRWTZELIPZLPZT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: X = T
MXMNEJCKVXXDFXUFFCEVSFSGMXDIUHMXXDVXOFEOCFXDUEGNXEJFN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = E
FBFOKRFLDGPCHLZTHBBIBFYHKEHQTHHOQSHVGHBKPXVQTXELXQSHLP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = E
WMNSNHNONSFKQKTKHZVNWQCQVGAWVCVQTVWQCGNCHNYUHNYUXXKWUW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- D
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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)
- “A handful of good life is better than seven bushels of learning.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=A D=Q E=C F=J G=R H=D I=W J=F K=P L=I M=U N=B O=T P=H Q=V R=K S=G T=N U=Z V=O W=E X=L Y=S Z=M
- “The friendship of great men is like the shadow of a bush, soon gone.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=K D=A E=D F=S G=U H=T I=B J=M K=Q L=Z M=N N=X O=I P=L Q=C R=W S=H T=F U=G V=E W=O X=V Y=R Z=P
- “Hunger looks in at the industrious man's door but dares not enter.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=P C=M D=C E=S F=X G=I H=B I=O J=U K=F L=N M=Z N=Q O=L P=T Q=J R=D S=H T=R U=Y V=K W=A X=G Y=W Z=E
- “It is only at the tree loaded with fruit that people throw stones.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=M C=L D=H E=O F=E G=W H=U I=F J=N K=Y L=B M=I N=S O=P P=C Q=K R=Q S=D T=Z U=R V=A W=J X=T Y=G Z=X
- “A landmark is very well placed between the fields of two brothers.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=L C=V D=K E=B F=A G=I H=E I=P J=Z K=D L=R M=G N=X O=N P=S Q=T R=M S=H T=W U=Q V=F W=J X=O Y=C Z=Y
- “There never was a banquet so sumptuous but some one dined ill at it.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=Y C=O D=G E=F F=W G=M H=N I=J J=C K=A L=K M=H N=E O=V P=X Q=S R=Z S=R T=B U=I V=U W=T X=L Y=D Z=Q