Puzzle 1
Starter clue: J = S
KQIYPBELPDFJPBJFGXYPKQ,KWDFBWAJHFJJQWIYSJPBJFGXNWWY.
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
German proverb Cryptograms Set 17
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: C = E
SCUSDSLVJCXWLODFMCNCSTQRSTB,SLVBLRCLFDDRRLK'VZDMOQCK.
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 3
Starter clue: Q = N
ZJIIEIXEBUNMXQOJIAUPQXQB,EXNWIPFOQUUQ,FQMNIFMFOQXBJO.
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 4
Starter clue: B = T
BMCDCRWXIKHJVABMHWHMIKCRXRB,OIDBMIWCJMISHXORXGRBIAB.
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 5
Starter clue: G = E
JUANHFAUGWVGFWOAULGANGLBRSGPPCRGFQSGVILGMFMUREDIJW.
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 6
Starter clue: P = E
ZIHNWIPZHYNLPJIUVQ:IYPLEZNLPXOUZP,NLPINLPULEZNLPWIVQ.
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)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “Charity gives itself rich, covetousness hoards itself poor.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=T C=J D=V E=Y F=E G=L H=N I=A J=S K=C L=G M=X N=P O=Z P=I Q=H R=K S=D T=W U=B V=M W=O X=F Y=R Z=Q
- “He who has left a rogue behind him, has made a good day's journey.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=M C=E D=O E=P F=G G=X H=K I=C J=L K=Y L=A M=U N=B O=R P=Z Q=N R=D S=H T=I U=W V=S W=T X=F Y=V Z=J
- “Cheese is gold in the morning, silver at noon, and lead at night.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=G C=X D=U E=S F=A G=B H=P I=E J=H K=W L=Q M=D N=L O=T P=R Q=N R=F S=Z T=J U=O V=Y W=V X=I Y=K Z=C
- “There is no law but has a hole in it, for those who can find it out.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=T C=E D=R E=Y F=X G=D H=A I=O J=W K=L L=J M=H N=Q O=F P=V Q=K R=I S=C T=Z U=P V=B W=S X=N Y=M Z=G
- “With patience and time the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=U C=Y D=G E=K F=A G=E H=P I=O J=W K=J L=M M=S N=H O=D P=R Q=F R=L S=B T=V U=I V=C W=N X=Q Y=Z Z=X
- “So it goes in the world: one has the purse, the other has the gold.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=Q C=K D=C E=A F=M G=X H=I I=O J=W K=Y L=H M=F N=T O=U P=E Q=D R=J S=B T=Z U=R V=L W=G X=P Y=N Z=S