Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
PJWEWFAHKMWPPWEMXTTXAPLKEQWWOFHZPJWUFHRAPWXRIKHFPAQWWT,XHRAXGFHZFPLEKUXTTEFAQKLYEXHQFHWAA,PJXHMVAFHWAA.
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
James Russell Lowell Cryptograms Set 4
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: A = N
QAIMQANCFMGGUGHAUZQUAYJKHVC,MAHTCAHUKEFUAYFQCAFCZUUKEHCMGQAV;ZSCZCAFUDDMAHDCAZYNQGGAUZTKHVC,MAHYZCMGQAVNQGGFUAZQAKCYZCMGQAV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: G = T
GMHKYPWAZFGMGMZGEHZXQEHPPZYLMKPLQFGQRKPKXFYZPPEHZGMHXQ,FQGMZGEMFRMFQEKNHYKARKYNFRGFKYZYLQHGEFGMGMHQMZXVBKXLZYGKAHOVHXFHYRH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Z = E
SLSXZCZIUPZHXVINQEEPSUQZNNZCNVIMIGVZIJQEEP,SUVEYWHIMUXZCNVINNVZCZSUEMZQEEPQZNNZCNVIMIGVZIJQEEP,-IMHNVINSUIQEEPVEMZUNWBGEOZQB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = E
ZXRDFZLUDWZLPKHNODXZALLAXALQIOAUUALXADQQ,ENXZLFAUKFKLFKOAUTNQFAYIALDQQ,XSDXXSKHKFXZLIAJXSKJYKKYKTNEQZOFAJDUKYZODRDFTYDOXZODQQIFKXXQKH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- W
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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)
- “There is no better ballast for keeping the mind steady on its keel, and saving it from all risk of crankiness, than business.”— 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=S B=J C=W D=Z E=R F=I G=V H=N I=Y J=H K=O L=F M=B N=X O=P P=T Q=K R=D S=Q T=L U=M V=U W=E X=A Y=C Z=G
- “In vain we call old notions fudge, And bend our conscience to our dealing; The Ten Commandments will not budge, And stealing will continue stealing.”— James Russell Lowell, 1885, Motto of the American Copyright League (written Nov. 20, 1885) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=Q C=E D=M E=R F=C G=L H=D I=V J=F K=U L=J M=A N=W O=K P=Y Q=I R=Z S=H T=B U=O V=G W=X X=P Y=S Z=T
- “The only faith that wears well and holds its color in all weathers, is that which is woven of conviction and set with the sharp mordant of experience.”— James Russell Lowell, 1871, My Study Windows, Abraham Lincoln, 1864 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=M C=U D=Q E=W F=I G=T H=E I=G J=Z K=O L=D M=H N=V O=X P=L Q=S R=C S=J T=K U=B V=P W=Y X=R Y=N Z=A
- “If I were asked what book is better than a cheap book, I should answer that there is one book better than a cheap book, - and that is a book honestly come by.”— James Russell Lowell, 1886, Before the U. S. Senate Committee on Patents, Jan. 29, 1886 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=Y C=R D=V E=O F=G G=C H=D I=A J=P K=X L=F M=N N=T O=M P=K Q=B R=J S=I T=Q U=S V=H W=L X=W Y=U Z=E
- “It was in making education not only common to all, but in some sense compulsory on all, that the destiny of the free republics of America was practically settled.”— 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=O B=Q C=J D=A E=B F=S G=V H=D I=Y J=F K=E L=N M=Z N=U O=C P=G Q=L R=W S=H T=P U=M V=X W=K X=T Y=R Z=I