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)
“Whatever he does is not only a reward in itself, but will be further rewarded in the sequel; and so pleasure leads on to pleasure in an endless chain.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=U B=Q C=R D=W E=V F=I G=K H=Y I=P J=Z K=D L=S M=H N=O O=G P=M Q=L R=N S=J T=F U=E V=C W=A X=B Y=T Z=X
“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=W B=Z C=K D=F E=O F=V G=I H=J I=R J=M K=U L=P M=L N=H O=X P=E Q=N R=Y S=G T=Q U=A V=T W=B X=C Y=S Z=D
“The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight, has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the world.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=Z B=I C=T D=R E=A F=W G=L H=M I=J J=U K=Y L=N M=Q N=X O=C P=G Q=P R=B S=V T=D U=H V=K W=F X=O Y=E Z=S
“Exceeding fair she was not; and yet fair in that she never studied to be fairer than Nature made her; beauty cost her nothing, Her virtues were so rare.”— George Chapman, 1605, All Fools, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=V C=D D=Y E=H F=T G=K H=J I=A J=I K=Z L=U M=O N=C O=R P=L Q=P R=S S=F T=E U=Q V=N W=X X=W Y=G Z=B
“The thirsty earth soaks up the rain, And drinks, and gapes for drink again; The plants suck in the earth, and are with constant drinking fresh and fair.”— Abraham Cowley, 1656, Poems, From Anacreon, II. Drinking (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=G C=W D=U E=S F=Y G=P H=R I=N J=H K=V L=D M=O N=K O=Z P=B Q=E R=C S=M T=A U=T V=L W=J X=Q Y=F Z=I
“It is better to sound a person, with whom one deals afar off, than to fall upon the point at first; except you mean to surprise him by some short question.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=E B=Z C=A D=C E=Y F=D G=U H=L I=V J=W K=I L=X M=O N=M O=B P=Q Q=G R=N S=T T=F U=J V=R W=K X=S Y=P Z=H