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.
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 best artist is not the man who fixes his eye on posterity, but the one who loves the practice of his art.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=N B=C C=U D=F E=O F=K G=S H=V I=H J=X K=P L=B M=J N=Z O=R P=Q Q=D R=W S=Y T=A U=L V=E W=M X=T Y=G Z=I
“Let no act be done at haphazard, nor otherwise than according to the finished rules that govern its kind.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=R C=I D=H E=J F=Y G=L H=G I=M J=E K=C L=D M=V N=W O=X P=O Q=U R=S S=Q T=P U=A V=Z W=T X=B Y=N Z=F
“The man who has actually paid for his farm with labor on it is so rare that every neighbor can point to him.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=C B=J C=Y D=W E=T F=Q G=E H=N I=F J=U K=V L=P M=K N=A O=H P=L Q=G R=M S=B T=Z U=X V=R W=D X=O Y=S Z=I
“In short, we ought to do justice in a kindly spirit to all nations and require justice from them in return.”— James Buchanan, 1857, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=R B=Q C=Z D=X E=J F=D G=S H=E I=O J=Y K=G L=N M=W N=P O=M P=F Q=K R=A S=B T=I U=V V=T W=U X=L Y=C Z=H
“See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=Z C=N D=Y E=C F=M G=L H=G I=U J=Q K=R L=X M=J N=D O=I P=S Q=B R=O S=T T=E U=W V=H W=A X=V Y=K Z=P
“If a man have a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will continue after him.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=W B=V C=N D=O E=D F=E G=K H=A I=L J=B K=S L=P M=T N=Q O=H P=U Q=C R=I S=Y T=Z U=G V=R W=J X=M Y=X Z=F