Puzzle 1
Starter clue: R = N
DLUGVLGRFRNPMAULRPPWIRWBFKPDLUWWRNDFRLGPKATTWMRW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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- O
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Samuel Butler Cryptograms Set 1
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: B = A
JRQXBJVBFLUIPCETCJETBXLBPVXBV'JVIALULVRTYRNTEJXLP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: E = H
HMRCJXU,JIUEPDREEMEJBZDOEHWU,EMHJTSMCATEAPGDTWXRWU.
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 = O
YPEIGAIGJYIUGKAVIQ'LRGJQK:TQATPAYLNGJIBPIUPZZIGZGJQK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: R = A
QAFTAYYQRI'CYQRI,RTOIQRI'CRCQKDQRCZAIRHQGCKMYKIMRTUBG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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- R
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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)
- “He made an instrument to know if the moon shine at full or no.”— Samuel Butler, 1664, Hudibras, Part II, Canto III. Line 261 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=W C=Z D=H E=P F=I G=A H=J I=K J=V K=F L=E M=R N=S O=B P=T Q=C R=N S=G T=L U=M V=D W=O X=Y Y=Q Z=X
- “Such as take lodgings in a head that's to be let unfurnished.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto I. Line 161 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=A C=G D=X E=I F=K G=W H=Y I=O J=S K=P L=E M=Z N=R O=V P=D Q=C R=U S=M T=N U=L V=T W=Q X=H Y=F Z=J
- “We grant, although he had much wit, He was very shy of using it.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto I. Line 45 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=D C=R D=U E=H F=B G=F H=W I=L J=A K=X L=P M=E N=Q O=C P=O Q=J R=G S=V T=S U=T V=K W=I X=N Y=Z Z=M
- “I am not now in fortune's power: He that is down can fall no lower.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto III. Line 877 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=C C=V D=Z E=M F=K G=O H=B I=N J=W K=R L=S M=X N=D O=J P=A Q=E R=P S=Q T=H U=F V=U W=Y X=G Y=I Z=L
- “He knew what's what, and that's as high as metaphysic wit can fly.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto I. Line 149 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=L C=S D=G E=X F=K G=Y H=P I=T J=U K=I L=Q M=C N=R O=D P=Z Q=H R=A S=V T=N U=F V=O W=B X=J Y=W Z=M