Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = E
WZCOMLBHUDXVUGUMP,WZCOMBAJXVUFBHAJ,COMTMWIUBCOWUDYHCPBHAJYMJBUM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Italian proverb Cryptograms Set 22
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.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: Q = E
EVGRPIVPQNKYRPIRZEIUNOUKNRGQQPVWTI;KIQOIVZQUNKVVZUKKZQEVGRSPRDQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: S = O
PCBPSECUOUPCQSZUWCEZAYSLPAOOPSMEYCFOAOOSSLZGUCFGSFNCYUSNZFFHUPCNSB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: T = E
OUTFKPKFUKMGKYYTFJFQBQUTPJNT,QUTPBNTUTGYBVFETNMQUTPBNTUTGBVYMUJPMTYG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = T
ARPSKHBOUCQPOARPKARPXQAKEVAKSSARPCXABCGQ,NPEBVQPRPRBOGPSARCQKLTCTARPAXBF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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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 (5 solutions)
- “If the young man knew, if the old man could, there is nothing but would be done.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=O C=T D=G E=J F=C G=K H=U I=S J=D K=Q L=Y M=E N=V O=H P=W Q=Z R=X S=P T=R U=N V=A W=I X=M Y=B Z=F
- “For an honest man half his wits are enough; the whole is too little for a knave.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=X C=Q D=V E=F F=Z G=R H=J I=H J=Y K=T L=C M=B N=S O=W P=N Q=E R=A S=K T=G U=I V=O W=U X=P Y=M Z=L
- “He who lets the goat be laid on his shoulders is soon after forced to carry the cow.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=W C=E D=Z E=L F=R G=F H=Y I=J J=Q K=M L=N M=U N=C O=S P=H Q=G R=V S=O T=P U=T V=X W=B X=K Y=D Z=A
- “When a man has fallen into the mire, the more he flounders the more he fouls himself.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=J D=B E=D F=N G=F H=Q I=Y J=I K=A L=G M=S N=R O=W P=M Q=T R=V S=X T=E U=H V=U W=Z X=K Y=L Z=P
- “The fox advised the others to cut off their tails, because he had left his own in the trap.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=A C=I D=M E=C F=P G=L H=X I=Y J=G K=O L=W M=J N=B O=D P=E Q=S R=H S=F T=N U=V V=U W=Q X=R Y=Z Z=K