Puzzle 1
Starter clue: T = A
OWSAOTRUMOTGMZNTJSZDSAOTXLNAMUMSTWCADRZWXC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Samuel Johnson Cryptograms Set 2
6 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: E = T
EBSNJAXECSLAXTNFLVFIXEFLOSRATZJXJTVNTAEBSGLXE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = E
BWYSYLZHSYNEQKZVVZYFELCI;VZYFELCIFHNWEVVENYYGDY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = E
ICJOEEYNCVCFOKKBPTSTKDIODVYZYWBDIOVXCWITQHYFTD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = E
RDQNYVEQBLKETTEFIOYYUKHLEBQAPUSHHDLNYUAHPTUPRDQFH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: O = E
ABOQWWHQFYOPTQYVMIHOBFGQMNOVMIVYPTIZOQALPMYOCFOMLO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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 (6 solutions)
- “Much may be made of a Scotchman if he be caught young.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. III. Chap. VIII. 1772 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=V C=G D=T E=W F=Q G=D H=Z I=R J=S K=J L=I M=E N=F O=M P=K Q=P R=Y S=C T=A U=B V=X W=U X=N Y=L Z=O
- “The first years of man must make provision for the last.”— Samuel Johnson, 1759, Rasselas, Chap. XVII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=H C=Y D=W E=T F=M G=L H=Z I=U J=I K=X L=A M=B N=F O=K P=C Q=J R=P S=E T=O U=D V=N W=G X=S Y=Q Z=V
- “I never have sought the world; the world was not to seek me.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. V. 1783 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=I C=L D=M E=O F=W G=K H=A I=D J=C K=G L=R M=P N=S O=J P=X Q=U R=Z S=V T=Y U=Q V=T W=N X=B Y=E Z=H
- “He was so generally civil that nobody thanked him for it.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. IX. 1777 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=E D=T E=S F=R G=P H=F I=H J=W K=L L=Q M=X N=G O=A P=C Q=M R=U S=V T=I U=Z V=N W=D X=K Y=O Z=B
- “Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance.”— Samuel Johnson, 1759, Rasselas, Chap. XVI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=G C=K D=A E=I F=C G=J H=E I=U J=B K=D L=S M=X N=Y O=L P=R Q=N R=M S=V T=F U=O V=H W=Z X=Q Y=T Z=W
- “The applause of a single human being is of great consequence.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VII. Chap. X (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=H C=Q D=J E=V F=U G=M H=L I=G J=D K=Z L=C M=N N=B O=E P=O Q=A R=Y S=X T=F U=W V=I W=P X=K Y=S Z=R