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)
“Up! up! my friend, and quit your books, Or surely you'll grow double! Up! up! my friend, and clear your looks! Why all this toil and trouble?”— William Wordsworth, 1798, Lyrical Ballads, The Tables Turned (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=O C=I D=U E=M F=P G=D H=T I=V J=Z K=W L=N M=A N=C O=Y P=R Q=H R=E S=K T=L U=X V=G W=J X=B Y=Q Z=S
“The faintest assured objection which one healthy man feels will at length prevail over the arguments and customs of mankind.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=E B=J C=M D=Q E=W F=X G=I H=L I=S J=F K=T L=Y M=K N=D O=A P=Z Q=C R=H S=O T=B U=V V=U W=G X=R Y=P Z=N
“Peace and friendly intercourse with all nations are as much the desire of our Government as they are the interest of our people.”— Andrew Jackson, 1834, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=I B=G C=Z D=Q E=V F=D G=O H=R I=C J=E K=H L=B M=T N=W O=F P=K Q=U R=J S=L T=A U=Y V=P W=S X=N Y=M Z=X
“Forgetful youth! but know, the Power above with ease can save each object of his love; Wide as his will extends his boundless grace.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book III. Line 285 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=L C=Y D=R E=N F=M G=Z H=B I=C J=F K=P L=U M=S N=V O=J P=I Q=A R=H S=D T=G U=K V=X W=O X=W Y=T Z=E
“Curse on all laws but those which love has made! Love, free as air at sight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies.”— Alexander Pope, 1717, Eloisa to Abelard, Line 74 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=V C=A D=Z E=N F=O G=B H=Q I=E J=S K=W L=R M=T N=J O=P P=H Q=F R=K S=X T=C U=G V=D W=U X=M Y=I Z=L
“All things which participate in anything which is common to them all, move towards that which is of the same kind with themselves.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=M B=P C=X D=Y E=Q F=T G=E H=I I=H J=Z K=B L=R M=U N=A O=L P=J Q=F R=N S=G T=K U=C V=O W=V X=D Y=W Z=S