Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = E
MXYSGCMYLWLRYLCMXYSGV,MXYSGVWLRYLCMXYZGM,GVRMXYZGMWLRYLCXYLMGPQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
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- H
- I
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Portuguese proverb Cryptograms Set 11
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.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: G = T
MIUIGRZGCVYVSDBZTXVUGGIGCVAIHGIS,UISRZGCVYVSDWTBZUGGIGCVTBRDVS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: X = O
PWKPXBZNWYBXCWXHUXEOPZTPWGYKXTO,WGOPWCBWZTYOXAPWZOUXEXCKZTOYUXE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = T
BTMTCPKCOSDSWAOLMBSWCTCOSXLGUTHWJ,MTWPKCOSDSWACOKWRCCTCOSGKCXOSW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: I = O
QIMIFINJJPZDWJPOVS'BDINBOLDOVPVKPMOS;MIFINJHIIJWJPOVS'BLPMDINMPVKPMRMPIV.
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 (5 solutions)
- “The master orders the man, the man orders the cat, and the cat orders her tail.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=Y C=S D=W E=F F=P G=A H=V I=U J=B K=J L=R M=T N=Q O=X P=I Q=L R=D S=M T=Z U=G V=N W=O X=H Y=E Z=C
- “Go not with every ailment to the doctor, nor with every plaint to the lawyer.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=A C=H D=Y E=U F=K G=T H=C I=O J=Q K=B L=S M=G N=J O=Z P=F Q=X R=W S=R T=L U=N V=E W=P X=M Y=V Z=I
- “He who makes more of you than he is wont, either means to cheat you or wants you.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=C B=M C=R D=L E=U F=V G=I H=F I=B J=X K=W L=D M=Q N=K O=T P=H Q=J R=Z S=P T=N U=Y V=G W=E X=O Y=S Z=A
- “Go not with every hunger to the cupboard, nor with every thirst to the pitcher.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=G C=T D=V E=X F=J G=P H=A I=Q J=D K=I L=U M=N N=Z O=H P=W Q=L R=S S=E T=O U=B V=M W=R X=C Y=F Z=K
- “Go to your rich friend's house when invited; to your poor friend's without invitation.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=S C=X D=H E=Q F=Y G=B H=P I=O J=R K=V L=W M=T N=U O=E P=I Q=G R=A S=D T=J U=M V=N W=F X=L Y=Z Z=C