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)
“She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=J B=C C=D D=S E=P F=M G=O H=Y I=K J=T K=R L=I M=G N=V O=E P=Z Q=W R=Q S=H T=A U=L V=F W=U X=N Y=X Z=B
“My friend was of opinion that when a man of rank appeared in that character [as an author], he deserved to have his merits handsomely allowed.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. III. 1781 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=Y C=T D=W E=H F=U G=P H=Z I=G J=V K=Q L=R M=L N=B O=X P=I Q=D R=M S=J T=C U=S V=F W=N X=O Y=A Z=K
“Men use to tell us that we love flattery even though we are not deceived by it, because it shows that we are of importance enough to be courted.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Q B=Y C=N D=X E=Z F=G G=W H=E I=P J=H K=A L=C M=D N=U O=F P=M Q=L R=O S=T T=I U=R V=J W=B X=K Y=V Z=S
“Come live with me, and be my love; And we will all the pleasures prove that hills and valleys, dales and fields, Woods or steepy mountain yields.”— Christopher Marlowe, 1599, The Passionate Shepherd to his Love, to his Love (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=L C=B D=F E=I F=C G=P H=G I=M J=E K=T L=J M=S N=D O=Q P=W Q=Y R=Z S=A T=V U=X V=U W=K X=O Y=H Z=R
“The great Government we loved has too often been made use of for private and selfish purposes, and those who used it had forgotten the people.”— Woodrow Wilson, 1913, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=X B=J C=U D=Q E=D F=S G=W H=A I=V J=M K=Z L=P M=R N=K O=G P=B Q=E R=Y S=N T=C U=O V=I W=L X=F Y=H Z=T
“The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad, and if I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=R B=K C=T D=H E=J F=P G=C H=B I=X J=Z K=L L=W M=Q N=O O=M P=F Q=V R=A S=D T=I U=G V=E W=Y X=N Y=S Z=U