Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = O
HQKEXVNWZQNHKCGQAWJKEIXYAKYWQKTCLJXUUBXLKFTYLNUQAWJCKXV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- F
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- H
- I
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Italian proverb Cryptograms Set 18
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: A = E
SAOOFCETBAZTASSCFCETUTGAIWLIWNAPGOOBASNGBUCCSCIFCETIAZJ.
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: S = E
IQYVUSRTOSYMUTHFYSFSOSGMYSVQQISL,IQYVUSGSPPSYQHSDGSHQTAU.
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 4
Starter clue: B = T
TKTDHYVBBTDYDRUPTPIUPYVB,ROGWVPBVCREEBITVOTBIRBUPFDRFQTG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: C = E
QCDQFGMAHGAJQCSCUUADFVJQWCCSHQTHFDUQFMHCNUPFJQCVOCU'HJFF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: C = O
ESCPRQCYYVXJVXSACCZXICSNCKQIXIGCKYOMMBXJQCJVOQBFKJYDJXS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- 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)
- “Who makes the wolf his companion should carry a dog under his cloak.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=Y C=L D=X E=M F=G G=F H=W I=P J=C K=O L=D M=B N=E O=V P=J Q=H R=Q S=Z T=U U=R V=K W=S X=A Y=N Z=T
- “Tell your secret to your friend and he will set his foot on your neck.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=S C=O D=Q E=U F=Y G=I H=B I=N J=K K=V L=A M=P N=H O=L P=W Q=G R=M S=T T=R U=F V=X W=D X=J Y=Z Z=C
- “For the buyer a hundred eyes are too few, for the seller one is enough.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=X C=J D=I E=K F=D G=S H=N I=F J=M K=Z L=W M=A N=V O=Y P=L Q=O R=B S=E T=U U=H V=T W=P X=Q Y=R Z=C
- “Every potter praises his pot, and most of all the one that is cracked.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=B B=T C=F D=R E=L F=C G=D H=Y I=H J=G K=V L=U M=J N=Q O=N P=S Q=K R=A S=W T=E U=I V=O W=M X=Z Y=P Z=X
- “He who buys by the pennyworth keeps his own house and other men's too.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=Q C=E D=W E=G F=O G=B H=S I=V J=T K=L L=Z M=U N=A O=M P=D Q=H R=C S=P T=I U=N V=R W=K X=F Y=J Z=X
- “From snow whether cooked or pounded you will get nothing but water.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=C B=G C=O D=A E=F F=B G=Y H=X I=D J=T K=U L=V M=L N=P O=I P=M Q=N R=S S=R T=Z U=J V=H W=Q X=E Y=W Z=K