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)
“The drying up a single tear has more of honest fame than shedding seas of gore.”— Lord Byron, 1819, Don Juan, Canto VIII. Stanza 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=H D=Q E=N F=R G=F H=A I=Z J=T K=E L=Y M=P N=K O=G P=U Q=L R=W S=M T=S U=I V=D W=B X=V Y=J Z=X
“There are a sort of men whose visages do cream and mantle like a standing pond.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=K C=Y D=E E=O F=W G=R H=N I=D J=A K=C L=T M=I N=G O=V P=U Q=H R=B S=X T=F U=S V=L W=Z X=Q Y=M Z=P
“Extremes in Nature equal good produce; Extremes in man concur to general use.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle III. Line 161 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=L C=R D=I E=H F=O G=U H=G I=W J=V K=M L=S M=N N=P O=Y P=C Q=X R=A S=K T=F U=T V=D W=B X=Z Y=J Z=E
“Diseases desperate grown by desperate appliance are relieved, Or not at all.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act IV. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=P C=D D=Y E=G F=O G=W H=N I=M J=S K=V L=A M=B N=U O=I P=L Q=C R=Z S=Q T=K U=X V=E W=J X=T Y=H Z=F
“The end of government is to keep open the opportunity for a more abundant life.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1928, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=V B=X C=I D=B E=A F=L G=U H=Y I=T J=P K=W L=Z M=R N=Q O=J P=N Q=D R=S S=O T=E U=G V=M W=C X=K Y=F Z=H
“A primrose by a river's brim a yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more.”— William Wordsworth, 1819, Peter Bell, Part I. Stanza 12 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=I C=A D=L E=U F=P G=B H=V I=Z J=O K=W L=E M=N N=D O=T P=R Q=S R=M S=F T=J U=G V=Y W=H X=K Y=C Z=X