Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = E
KPHZWZAAPJAKQQDAQFAJZDAPQVQEZQRAPJARYFQSQFHGBFGYWQYUUDBOVQFWJFQAPQOYWAQRRQMABJE?
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
Pliny the Elder Cryptograms Set 2
4 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: X = T
DXDVNDTDWCIJCVXJVCFFJVBXKZXXKBSNBZXKBZTJUXKDYSV,AKZXBRBNDXMB,FZHVZYHNBSZNTXJKCPZYZUUZDNV.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = E
PEPNOFMOMDGYFNHEDBYEYMGPTYULYELYMNLY[TFEKMY]LFNJMDIYBEDLPGFZPTBJFMYTEDMFGYMRPXYNNNEYJGDELYM.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = S
ATALKNEVUCVGGJJNEAZSKJVR,WUZNEVGVGNEALAWGJUFEKZVTALGGAUZJMNGHWRRYMWUNVNVAGJBVNBLJHNEAVLHJMNEG,SADWMGAVNGHJJNEGATALKOWLNFEVDEVGLJMCE.
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)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (4 solutions)
- “Why is it that we entertain the belief that for every purpose odd numbers are the most effectual?”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book XXVIII. Sect. 23 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=U C=X D=N E=L F=R G=P H=Y I=Z J=A K=W L=J M=C N=Q O=M P=H Q=E R=F S=V T=G U=D V=B W=S X=K Y=O Z=I
- “It is ridiculous to suppose that the great head of things, whatever it be, pays any regard to human affairs.”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book II. Sect. 20 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=E C=U D=I E=Q F=P G=J H=Y I=L J=O K=H L=K M=B N=R O=X P=M Q=Z R=V S=G T=D U=F V=S W=C X=T Y=N Z=A
- “It is far from easy to determine whether she [Nature] has proved to him a kind parent or a merciless stepmother.”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book VII. Sect. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=D C=X D=O E=T F=A G=M H=Y I=V J=P K=U L=H M=R N=S O=F P=I Q=G R=C S=J T=N U=W V=Z W=Q X=L Y=E Z=K
- “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=E B=F C=G D=C E=H F=W G=S H=M I=X J=O K=Y L=R M=U N=T O=P P=Z Q=K R=L S=B T=V U=N V=I W=A X=J Y=Q Z=D