Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
CWWYIYCON,YDDCILDK,NYDILSL,CWLALSPWSYLDURLNNDTGLKELWSYLDU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- R
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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Samuel Johnson Cryptograms Set 4
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: K = A
KSMBVQKOXZHLMMWKPVJKFVPCAXEVXFW;UICBXCIZPAXZMICMEKLKZWXP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = E
PGTGLNJGAQNPJBRASYZMHPDGTZKJTJBAK;QSNAXJUFJJYYJSYHJQNSTWPDJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = T
OHHOPUZGHNJMJOPHZVC.ZCJYJMHNZCUZNOYJNZHNOMKRCEJGGZHMJSVRCKG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: I = E
AIJEGVIWBQJTEZOTJKIUJIZVTBIBTIOVXWBIMSQZPTZL,NWESDKTZQJECIWX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Y = N
OPDLQHVXYFTVXDYDIMXRQYW;ODRYVWVZCOMQFWVHOYFTVXDYXYFQIAWDYFOYM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- Y
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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)
- “Officious, innocent, sincere, Of every friendless name the friend.”— Samuel Johnson, 1783, On the Death of Dr. Robert Levet, Verses on the Death of Mr. Robert Levet. Stanza 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=X C=O D=N E=H F=Q G=M H=P I=C J=B K=T L=E M=Z N=S O=U P=Y Q=J R=L S=R T=A U=D V=K W=F X=G Y=I Z=W
- “A cow is a very good animal in the field; but we turn her out of a garden.”— 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=W C=T D=K E=F F=L G=Z H=Y I=U J=M K=A L=G M=O N=X O=V P=N Q=S R=P S=C T=Q U=B V=I W=D X=E Y=J Z=R
- “I am a great friend to public amusements; for they keep people from vice.”— 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=T B=N C=Q D=C E=X F=K G=A H=L I=Z J=E K=S L=G M=B N=R O=J P=I Q=F R=D S=O T=M U=Y V=W W=V X=H Y=P Z=U
- “Attack is the reaction. I never think I have hit hard unless it rebounds.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. V. Chap. VI. 1775 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=M C=N D=W E=L F=J G=S H=T I=F J=E K=D L=P M=R N=H O=A P=C Q=G R=U S=B T=Q U=K V=O W=X X=Y Y=V Z=I
- “Let observation with extensive view Survey mankind, from China to Peru.”— Samuel Johnson, 1749, The Vanity of Human Wishes, Line 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=V C=P D=C E=O F=G G=B H=J I=E J=T K=H L=D M=Y N=F O=W P=K Q=A R=Q S=M T=I U=X V=S W=R X=U Y=Z Z=N
- “I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. IX. 1784 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=K C=L D=A E=W F=D G=Q H=F I=R J=Z K=C L=V M=G N=X O=I P=H Q=E R=M S=J T=Y U=P V=O W=T X=U Y=N Z=B