Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = T
OPDMCSQUDNPZZESCBEUZKCSOTUDENAVSDEUOHDAKA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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James Russell Lowell Cryptograms Set 1
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: Z = L
TZZGHM'S'VBHZOKSPMFEYDZHLV,TM'EDTKOKSPMFEYDZTVYDV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: D = O
ILEIBRDLWKWLDXIBWJQGRRDPO,HLDXFRDLWKWLDXIBWIBLDXW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = E
CBRJYCABCZRLHRAWRBFRWIQCAJYMQYCXRQWXERABRIICZQMABWBD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = S
UPLOEUROIXPJJPIXSMIXJPOVJIHJBJEMACJPROIX;LIPPJPPOIXNUXM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = E
XDMSLZKCQPECBMLDSPMLAQCRUXAMQPLDQCUMMDXJNPQXBCDSLKXAES.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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)
- “Nature fits all her children with something to do.”— James Russell Lowell, 1848, A Fable for Critics (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=C C=R D=T E=H F=P G=K H=G I=J J=V K=D L=B M=U N=S O=N P=A Q=F R=X S=E T=W U=I V=M W=Z X=Y Y=Q Z=L
- “All kin' o' smily round the lips, An' teary round the lashes.”— James Russell Lowell, 1848, The Biglow Papers, First Series, Second Series. The Courtin' (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=M C=X D=E E=T F=D G=K H=I I=B J=C K=R L=P M=N N=Q O=Y P=U Q=J R=V S=O T=A U=W V=S W=F X=Z Y=H Z=L
- “Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne.”— James Russell Lowell, 1844, Poems (1844), The Present Crisis (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=H C=Y D=O E=U F=G G=A H=W I=T J=S K=V L=R M=Q N=Z O=D P=L Q=C R=F S=M T=X U=P V=J W=E X=N Y=K Z=I
- “One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.”— James Russell Lowell, 1870, Among My Books, First Series. Shakespeare Once More (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=N C=O D=G E=D F=C G=Z H=P I=S J=T K=M L=X M=A N=K O=Y P=V Q=W R=E S=U T=Q U=J V=B W=I X=L Y=H Z=F
- “Aspiration sees only one side of every question; possession many.”— James Russell Lowell, 1870, Among My Books, First Series. New England Two Centuries ago (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=V C=U D=J E=R F=Z G=W H=F I=O J=E K=X L=P M=Y N=M O=I P=S Q=K R=T S=L T=G U=A V=D W=C X=N Y=B Z=H
- “One day with life and heart is more than time enough to find a world.”— James Russell Lowell, 1844, Poems (1844), Columbus (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=F C=I D=N E=L F=Z G=P H=X I=Q J=U K=W L=A M=E N=G O=V P=H Q=T R=S S=D T=C U=M V=K W=B X=O Y=J Z=Y