Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = O
WESZGYLKGAMZMLKGKZGMYHQYM,WKSLKGKSDYGM;SKFY,WKSSKMYYA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- F
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- I
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Michel de Montaigne Cryptograms Set 2
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 2
Starter clue: K = E
FJGDWIOGJNLFODKIFWEKGKZKKIZANESEKLFKSNJGINKVALWLSJI!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = I
AWAYIXKNXXKVUVHXSAMXOVAKNSVKNHAYAXHQBVXAYEXOMVQWSAEV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: X = E
PGXMHZJFNLXDJUXIHFUXBPGDPRXVBGTHJCZXPUDEDVCJFXDVCRDBBDNUX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = E
QINJFMFJFGUFFMNZGFNSFGWDMUSFGDGWQGNRXFQMSIFODGXESINMWHUFXA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = I
LVXYYVGECVVTXQIGQXKLHVGXFJXUYJLYMXVVFCYHGBZXVYTCEQYZDXIXYT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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 (6 solutions)
- “Nature forms us for ourselves, not for others; to be, not to seem.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XXXVII. Of the Resemblance of Children to their Brothers (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=J C=G D=H E=A F=B G=R H=L I=Y J=X K=O L=F M=S N=K O=Q P=D Q=V R=I S=T T=P U=W V=C W=N X=Z Y=E Z=U
- “How many worthy men have we seen survive their own reputation!”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XVI. Of Glory (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=F C=Q D=M E=V F=H G=W H=B I=N J=O K=E L=T M=G N=R O=Y P=C Q=K R=X S=I T=Z U=J V=P W=A X=D Y=L Z=S
- “I find that the best virtue I have has in it some tincture of vice.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XX. That we taste nothing pure (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=M C=Y D=G E=C F=J G=X H=S I=D J=K K=H L=W M=R N=A O=U P=L Q=O R=Z S=V T=Q U=B V=E W=F X=T Y=N Z=P
- “The public weal requires that men should betray and lie and massacre.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. I. Of Profit and Honesty (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=S C=D D=A E=Y F=I G=H H=U I=Q J=L K=V L=W M=P N=C O=K P=T Q=J R=M S=X T=O U=R V=N W=F X=E Y=Z Z=B
- “I have never seen a greater monster or miracle in the world than myself.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XI. Of Cripples (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=J C=P D=O E=D F=E G=R H=Y I=H J=V K=U L=X M=N N=A O=W P=Z Q=I R=C S=T T=Q U=S V=B W=M X=L Y=K Z=G
- “A little folly is desirable in him that will not be guilty of stupidity.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. IX. Of Vanity (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=G C=O D=P E=F F=N G=E H=B I=D J=H K=R L=A M=W N=V O=C P=J Q=S R=Z S=Q T=Y U=M V=L W=K X=I Y=T Z=U