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.
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
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)
“We can secure other people's approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it, and no way has been found out of securing that.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=T B=Z C=H D=O E=M F=Q G=P H=Y I=E J=N K=R L=B M=W N=C O=V P=J Q=X R=L S=U T=F U=S V=A W=D X=K Y=G Z=I
“Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=N B=T C=A D=E E=V F=M G=F H=P I=O J=U K=H L=K M=I N=X O=G P=S Q=Y R=Z S=B T=J U=W V=D W=L X=C Y=R Z=Q
“When your watch gets out of order you have choice of two things to do: throw it in the fire or take it to the watch-tinker. The former is the quickest.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=P B=K C=L D=J E=A F=X G=F H=N I=Q J=Y K=B L=W M=C N=M O=S P=D Q=H R=T S=R T=E U=Z V=I W=V X=G Y=O Z=U
“The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=B B=T C=H D=G E=A F=N G=E H=L I=C J=Q K=V L=Z M=K N=J O=W P=O Q=Y R=S S=R T=X U=I V=M W=U X=D Y=P Z=F
“History shows us that the Moral Sense enables us to perceive morality and how to avoid it, and that the Immoral Sense enables us to perceive immorality and how to enjoy it.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=M B=Z C=W D=F E=P F=S G=Y H=L I=R J=B K=Q L=I M=K N=T O=N P=E Q=C R=D S=H T=G U=V V=A W=O X=J Y=U Z=X