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 1
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: A = T
OZCDCJAIUJATZMEAZYCRRWTZYUWEWPMJAWJATZMEUT.
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
Puzzle 2
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: T = R
SGFFGTQZLLGTLDTFTZFR,FRUHOTDQOGTSVLUEQGRDDW.
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
Puzzle 3
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: D = O
AKAZIXUIJZUQXXKDSQQFPDXGDOJDBVPDVZQ'ZEVAGXQ.
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
Puzzle 4
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: R = E
SZRDCZRVZRYICPXWYYRK,BZRSAKJZWCWSUDDUDEEWFR.
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
Puzzle 5
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: C = E
DOUZLDMLDRIUMCUMSCYDWMSECLSDMMUIFCZCSDYYCL.
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
Puzzle 6
Medium · 42 letters
Starter clue: B = O
WBBMNBR,JPULFCUBILABVACZVCGJVUNBEVJVLCZCILI.
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)
“You must be strong to pull a rope against a stronger.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=Q C=U D=M E=G F=V G=F H=X I=B J=S K=W L=D M=N N=Z O=Y P=I Q=H R=L S=K T=R U=E V=C W=A X=J Y=P Z=O
“Better suffer for truth, than prosper by falsehood.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=M C=V D=O E=L F=T G=E H=N I=W J=Z K=C L=F M=K N=J O=P P=Q Q=S R=H S=B T=R U=A V=Y W=D X=G Y=X Z=U
“It is always well to keep hold of your horse's bridle.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=U C=J D=O E=B F=P G=D H=X I=A J=Y K=T L=G M=C N=V O=F P=H Q=E R=M S=K T=Q U=W V=R W=Z X=L Y=N Z=S
“When shepherds quarrel, the wolf has a winning game.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=T C=S D=N E=G F=M G=B H=X I=D J=F K=L L=Z M=C N=K O=Y P=Q Q=J R=E S=W T=V U=I V=P W=A X=U Y=R Z=H
“A word and a stone once launched cannot be recalled.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=E D=A E=H F=B G=K H=Q I=T J=F K=P L=D M=N N=J O=W P=I Q=M R=S S=C T=Z U=O V=G W=U X=V Y=L Z=R
“Look you, I am the most concerned in my own interests.”— Terence, 166 BC, Andria, Act IV. Sc. 1, 12. (636) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=E D=Z E=W F=H G=D H=X I=S J=I K=P L=T M=K N=Y O=J P=A Q=F R=U S=Q T=B U=M V=N W=L X=G Y=V Z=R