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)
“Public opinion throughout the United States has moved steadily toward a just appreciation of the value of forests, whether planted or of natural growth.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1901, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=B B=G C=P D=O E=V F=A G=L H=U I=D J=W K=X L=N M=S N=Y O=E P=M Q=R R=F S=T T=K U=H V=C W=Q X=I Y=Z Z=J
“The things however which are proper to the understanding no other man is used to impede, for neither fire, nor iron, nor tyrant, nor abuse, touches it in any way.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=L B=X C=I D=R E=O F=A G=W H=F I=Q J=S K=U L=H M=C N=K O=D P=N Q=M R=V S=P T=Y U=T V=E W=J X=B Y=Z Z=G
“Everybody has their taste in noises as well as in other matters; and sounds are quite innoxious, or most distressing, by their sort rather than their quantity.”— Jane Austen, 1817, PersuasionCipher key: A=J B=V C=B D=X E=T F=G G=C H=Q I=F J=H K=Y L=Z M=L N=A O=R P=M Q=K R=E S=D T=O U=P V=W W=S X=I Y=U Z=N
“Everything is soothed by oil, and this is the reason why divers send out small quantities of it from their mouths, because it smooths every part which is rough.”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book II. Sect. 234 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=X C=T D=I E=W F=J G=V H=C I=M J=F K=P L=B M=L N=D O=N P=R Q=O R=Z S=Y T=Q U=H V=S W=G X=U Y=A Z=E
“Delivers in such apt and gracious words that aged ears play truant at his tales, And younger hearings are quite ravished; So sweet and voluble is his discourse.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, Love's Labour's Lost, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=U C=O D=A E=P F=C G=Q H=N I=Z J=D K=E L=F M=J N=T O=S P=I Q=M R=X S=Y T=H U=V V=L W=R X=G Y=W Z=B