Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = H
SAMSGCSOGMHNMNKPGZAKMBCSSBHSNZQHMBFFHAAVBCMBCSSBHIAAC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- F
- G
- H
- I
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Italian 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: Y = N
NFKXEQGVXPAREYXSNFNFQKKNFSYAR:VESYA,LYVESYA,PYVCQKNKYVSYA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = T
LJBLZBNDGUALZXJZBLKTWADTJSGKHVUMZTANJUUQGRBADKBLKQRJUE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
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- H
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = T
UOMDLOMLGMMAHJBUDMTMGWBDMGXDHLBALUALOKOKLPOMLLBPXLUBBJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = O
YNSVNGSJBJNIJEAZJFGNEAKZGNXAJFKNFTEBGSREXGFAZJEYGPJGXUA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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- H
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: R = T
JRJPVFRVWIWPPKSHRFZJPXNYWCWSHQNIUWRRXKRZKOOPJVRFRXWDWOO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
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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)
- “He who throws away money with his hands will seek it with his feet.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=I C=T D=B E=P F=L G=O H=S I=F J=Q K=Y L=X M=W N=A O=R P=M Q=D R=Z S=H T=G U=V V=K W=U X=J Y=C Z=N
- “The world wags on with three things: doing, undoing, and pretending.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=Y C=P D=X E=O F=H G=L H=Z I=V J=M K=E L=U M=J N=T O=B P=A Q=R R=S S=I T=F U=Q V=D W=K X=W Y=N Z=C
- “He that would have a thing done quickly and well must do it himself.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=T C=X D=O E=F F=B G=U H=C I=J J=E K=I L=H M=Y N=W O=Z P=R Q=M R=S S=Q T=N U=L V=K W=G X=V Y=P Z=A
- “When the tree is down every one runs to it with a hatchet to cut wood.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=O C=Z D=N E=F F=P G=R H=S I=B J=D K=A L=T M=E N=Q O=H P=C Q=J R=X S=G T=V U=W V=M W=Y X=U Y=L Z=K
- “Many a one leaves the roast who afterwards longs for the smoke of it.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=L C=Z D=C E=S F=R G=O H=U I=V J=E K=W L=P M=X N=A O=J P=K Q=B R=G S=N T=D U=I V=Y W=Q X=F Y=M Z=H
- “It is not necessary to fish up every bucket that falls into the well.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=Z C=V D=W E=J F=O G=M H=Y I=C J=I K=A L=Q M=D N=U O=L P=S Q=B R=T S=R T=G U=K V=N W=E X=H Y=P Z=F