Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = T
LVQSCWQXWHPZEGVPKEUELS;XWHPZEGLVCLLVQSCWQGHLXWHPZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Robert Burton Cryptograms Set 2
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: D = E
TBXNDQXMGIUXUMDUMMARABXTJGXDV,AWJASDUGXBQGABGDTINLMDT.
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 3
Starter clue: Q = E
HFQYQJZMYUMSQWVTVXQJXWUBOZQSQOMAQZUGQQOUSQXVXMPQWVQXIQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: O = E
[FXOGAQX]JGOAPZOOZGJFXOGENHHOHHOZSWFXOAGKNPOWFXJPENHHOHHNGH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Q = O
RQVQWZRQWVFIODVFRBQJQWVYIOTZWFH,QWUQOZBQJFBM,FBOQXDVFRZQHYMUFMHYRDZMUWDFZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
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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)
- “They are proud in humility; proud in that they are not proud.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part I. Sect. 2, Memb. 3, Subsect. 14 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=Z C=A D=G E=I F=Q G=N H=O I=S J=C K=M L=T M=K N=W O=B P=U Q=E R=X S=Y T=V U=L V=H W=R X=P Y=J Z=D
- “Smile with an intent to do mischief, or cozen him whom he salutes.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Democritus to the Reader (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=M C=Y D=E E=Q F=G G=H H=X I=A J=C K=J L=U M=T N=L O=P P=B Q=W R=D S=Z T=S U=N V=F W=R X=I Y=K Z=V
- “The fear of some divine and supreme powers keeps men in obedience.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part III. Sect. 4, Memb. 1, Subsect. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=U C=Q D=Z E=J F=H G=K H=T I=C J=A K=L L=X M=O N=Y O=P P=B Q=E R=G S=M T=V U=S V=I W=D X=N Y=F Z=R
- “[The rich] are indeed rather possessed by their money than possessors.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part I. Sect. 2, Memb. 3, Subsect. 12 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=K C=U D=F E=P F=T G=R H=S I=G J=A K=M L=Q M=Z N=O O=E P=N Q=C R=J S=B T=L U=V V=X W=Y X=H Y=W Z=D
- “No cord nor cable can so forcibly draw, or hold so fast, as love can do with a twined thread.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part III. Sect. 2, Memb. 1, Subsect. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=S C=G D=E E=X F=A G=Z H=W I=B J=F K=J L=K M=T N=U O=L P=Q Q=O R=N S=P T=Y U=H V=C W=R X=V Y=I Z=D