Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = I
FJKFNKSUPBQGJVNMNGTVKFGVHGQQGVUDFGVUHTUBGTGUTVKGQQ.
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
Samuel Butler 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: J = N
AEXFVJREZQLFHQWDHDVPARNZQJDHDCVQFVJHJWVGZFQESHJZQJD.
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: Z = E
LEFZ!RYLCHZWOGBVKZANOWKACYZFLACYLCFZVVGZBROCYPKGVOWKA!
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: S = E
EMWFHYSVVHASOYSUVWKSXVUVNKSUHMDFSXRNGASUHSEUVHMGASUH.
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 5
Starter clue: P = E
UDBZPMPQIOPCZNOOHEXWNSGENQPTHQ,THQPMPQRUDRDPDBWBUDPQPTHQP.
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 (5 solutions)
- “He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still.”— Samuel Butler, 1678, Hudibras, Part III, Canto III. Line 547 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=P C=V D=F E=J F=H G=I H=W I=Z J=E K=T L=D M=G N=A O=Q P=M Q=L R=U S=C T=N U=O V=S W=K X=R Y=X Z=Y
- “Love in your hearts as idly burns as fire in antique Roman urns.”— Samuel Butler, 1664, Hudibras, Part II, Canto I. Line 309 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=X C=F D=S E=O F=E G=Q H=A I=G J=N K=Z L=H M=W N=B O=K P=D Q=R R=Y S=M T=J U=P V=I W=T X=V Y=C Z=U
- “Ay me! what perils do environ the man that meddles with cold iron!”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto III. Line 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=S C=T D=F E=Y F=M G=L H=P I=G J=Z K=O L=A M=B N=V O=I P=C Q=K R=W S=U T=X U=Q V=D W=R X=J Y=H Z=E
- “Doubtless the pleasure is as great of being cheated as to cheat.”— Samuel Butler, 1664, Hudibras, Part II, Canto III. Line 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=Z C=J D=F E=D F=B G=C H=T I=W J=K K=R L=X M=O N=G O=P P=Y Q=V R=N S=E T=Q U=A V=S W=U X=I Y=L Z=M
- “Whatever sceptic could inquire for, For every why he had a wherefore.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto I. Line 131 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=A C=P D=H E=U F=J G=Q H=O I=S J=Z K=G L=B M=V N=I O=C P=E Q=R R=Y S=N T=F U=W V=M W=D X=L Y=K Z=T