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 would not have an America living within and for herself alone, but we would have her self-reliant, independent, and ever nobler, stronger, and richer.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=Y B=C C=U D=X E=F F=J G=P H=W I=L J=S K=G L=N M=D N=O O=E P=H Q=R R=K S=B T=A U=Q V=Z W=M X=V Y=T Z=I
“There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer.”— William Shakespeare, 1592, King Henry VI, Part II. Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=L C=O D=P E=U F=W G=M H=S I=D J=N K=F L=V M=X N=A O=R P=Y Q=J R=Z S=B T=I U=K V=C W=H X=T Y=Q Z=E
“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=P B=D C=H D=S E=C F=U G=V H=I I=J J=N K=X L=Z M=R N=L O=F P=A Q=O R=W S=M T=B U=K V=Y W=E X=T Y=Q Z=G
“There is always some levelling circumstance that puts down the overbearing, the strong, the rich, the fortunate, substantially on the same ground with all others.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=F B=H C=G D=S E=R F=J G=O H=K I=A J=B K=I L=X M=Y N=D O=P P=L Q=C R=E S=V T=Z U=W V=U W=T X=M Y=N Z=Q
“You meaner beauties of the night, That poorly satisfy our eyes more by your number than your light; You common people of the skies, - What are you when the moon shall rise?”— Sir Henry Wotton, 1651, Reliquiae Wottonianae, On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=U C=S D=M E=V F=G G=T H=I I=Y J=F K=O L=A M=B N=L O=N P=K Q=R R=H S=X T=D U=W V=Q W=J X=C Y=Z Z=P