5 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)
“Some things are hurrying into existence, and others are hurrying out of it; and of that which is coming into existence part is already extinguished.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=O B=I C=N D=G E=D F=H G=B H=Y I=C J=X K=V L=M M=T N=F O=P P=A Q=K R=E S=Z T=R U=L V=W W=Q X=J Y=U Z=S
“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=J B=I C=O D=F E=H F=U G=C H=P I=D J=N K=Y L=T M=V N=Z O=X P=K Q=E R=M S=W T=G U=L V=A W=R X=S Y=B Z=Q
“The Retort Courteous; . . . the Quip Modest; . . . the Reply Churlish; . . . the Reproof Valiant; . . . the Countercheck Quarrelsome; . . . the Lie with Circumstance; . . . the Lie Direct.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act V. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=H C=Z D=M E=I F=S G=T H=O I=R J=Y K=J L=N M=G N=D O=A P=W Q=P R=F S=C T=E U=Q V=X W=U X=L Y=V Z=K
“Some antiquated and outworn rules which once safeguarded the threatened rights of private citizens, now merely work harm to the general body politic.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1905, Fifth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=G B=X C=T D=N E=P F=Q G=A H=Z I=U J=W K=C L=H M=Y N=R O=F P=I Q=S R=M S=L T=E U=J V=K W=O X=V Y=B Z=D
“The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, that is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=T B=M C=X D=C E=J F=P G=R H=L I=U J=K K=Y L=O M=N N=V O=G P=B Q=F R=S S=Q T=H U=E V=I W=D X=Z Y=A Z=W