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.
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)
“They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them tenderly.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=O B=S C=I D=F E=H F=P G=A H=X I=M J=L K=C L=E M=Y N=U O=W P=R Q=N R=D S=Z T=B U=T V=J W=Q X=G Y=V Z=K
“There was once a man who, not being able to find any other fault with his coal, complained that there were too many prehistoric toads in it.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=V B=D C=W D=K E=G F=I G=C H=J I=B J=A K=H L=U M=R N=L O=Y P=M Q=E R=T S=X T=S U=P V=F W=O X=Z Y=N Z=Q
“He has spent all his life in letting down empty buckets into empty wells; and he is frittering away his age in trying to draw them up again.”— Sydney Smith, 1855, Lady Holland's Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith, Vol. I. p. 259 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=W C=N D=I E=J F=X G=L H=S I=P J=V K=O L=K M=G N=T O=Z P=A Q=Y R=F S=B T=E U=Q V=R W=U X=M Y=H Z=D
“Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=W B=F C=Q D=U E=D F=E G=M H=L I=J J=Z K=X L=N M=V N=B O=Y P=K Q=A R=P S=T T=C U=G V=S W=O X=R Y=H Z=I
“My lungs began to crow like chanticleer, That fools should be so deep-contemplative; And I did laugh sans intermission an hour by his dial.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act II. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=A C=B D=Y E=I F=L G=S H=X I=U J=Z K=N L=H M=D N=R O=W P=E Q=F R=J S=P T=K U=T V=C W=Q X=G Y=V Z=O
“We praise the banker that we may overdraw our account, and find good qualities in the highwayman in the hope that he may spare our pockets.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=H B=Y C=S D=X E=G F=U G=W H=O I=J J=K K=P L=T M=A N=I O=F P=Q Q=V R=M S=Z T=B U=E V=N W=D X=C Y=L Z=R