Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = T
PNTXBJSWXHTHNKKQNYPH,GNHPPNTCQYWEOJHGQBJY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- T
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- X
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- Z
Oliver Goldsmith Cryptograms Set 1
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: Z = T
ZVBPEZOSZEVZKGAXNZEVZKDZDXITX,DUXVNFZGKDZSZEXT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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- T
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = T
BPMWEV,BEVDAJPAOSIANDBMMJWO,KMJBUDW,DJWRABBPMUDJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = T
WFKNFKGJCOGZBGGZDTDUDCDZHN,KHUNFKGJGTFGZBGGZDZHKA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: N = T
BOBMZIUTYEMNWVNUOTQMBLJIUTYBNJEQXTWVMNEMZBMNVKKVGNNUU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = T
YQQKGEXYIQNEYJVEIZKNKYNMTVQMHVEKGLENGQQNKVAVNNVJXMJNKVL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “His conduct still right, with his argument wrong.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1774, Retaliation, Line 46 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=O C=A D=V E=M F=Y G=W H=T I=F J=N K=L L=K M=X N=I O=E P=H Q=R R=B S=D T=S U=J V=Z W=U X=C Y=G Z=Q
- “Taught by that Power that pities me, I learn to pity them.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1765, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), Chap. VIII. Stanza 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=U C=V D=I E=H F=N G=O H=Z I=S J=K K=P L=C M=J N=R O=B P=G Q=D R=F S=Y T=M U=L V=A W=X X=E Y=Q Z=T
- “The dog, to gain his private ends, Went mad, and bit the man.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1766, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=T C=U D=A E=O F=Z G=Q H=Y I=R J=N K=W L=C M=E N=V O=S P=H Q=X R=B S=P T=K U=M V=G W=D X=L Y=J Z=F
- “Man wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1765, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), Chap. VIII. Stanza 8 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=I C=B D=E E=F F=A G=T H=O I=Q J=S K=N L=K M=P N=W O=U P=X Q=D R=Z S=V T=H U=R V=C W=M X=Y Y=J Z=L
- “I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellect too.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1766, The Vicar of Wakefield, Chap. VII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=I C=P D=K E=A F=J G=C H=Z I=Y J=H K=L L=S M=N N=T O=F P=X Q=R R=B S=V T=U U=O V=E W=M X=G Y=W Z=D
- “All his faults are such that one loves him still the better for them.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1768, The Good-Natur'd Man, The Good-Natured Man. Act I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=D C=G D=W E=S F=K G=I H=V I=U J=R K=H L=M M=O N=T O=Y P=X Q=L R=P S=Q T=N U=Z V=E W=J X=F Y=A Z=C