Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
QLWATSHESMIWDYAWQMLHI:ASQLWAUIKZOSNYWKXISTRSI,WXASQLWAAVSXSASNULDMLHMLDWXFUYMWLKCWLMY.
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 Johnson Cryptograms Set 8
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: T = N
KXWAWDUTIKXDTZBXDHXXLUGWKVWWTHITKADEWRVGJLTVGBXDHXUIJNHXXLMMDTWUUDUMAIRNHWRLUVGLZIIRKLEWATIADTT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: U = T
PXGSU,YPUDQPERKU,PYWZRKUGQRPY,BZGESOUKMPQMSEVPYVKUVESGOBQRURYJDYUGDMZSW,PYWUGDMZSWYGUZRYJUZPUZSWRWYGUPWGQY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: N = E
ZHGNXPNQTNFDDSOGZRUOGFOOGNTNZQRPXZQOZRMOZPRKNOINNRBZTOVNFRXBZMN,IGS,QZT,IGNRGNDNFBNQPVTGPVQNQDNOVQMPVROPVTQEPPRQ.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: W = A
KCPHLUDZMWFYPYBLDLYDNJWNMJUDWKWDYPHWDIWBBUWHUZLDNJWNOJWHWONUH[WFWDWRNJYH],JUZUFUHGUZNYJWGUJLFKUHLNFJWDZFYKUQCWQQYMUZ.
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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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)
- “Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. V. Chap. IX (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=X C=P D=F E=G F=M G=Y H=D I=S J=Q K=U L=N M=I N=C O=J P=Z Q=K R=V S=E T=L U=A V=H W=O X=R Y=T Z=B
- “There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. III. 1776 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=W C=L D=I E=V F=X G=Y H=C I=O J=M K=T L=A M=P N=U O=K P=J Q=F R=D S=Q T=N U=S V=B W=E X=H Y=Z Z=G
- “A Poet, Naturalist, and Historian, Who left scarcely any style of writing untouched, And touched nothing that he did not adorn.”— Samuel Johnson, 1776, Epitaph on Goldsmith (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=W C=J D=U E=L F=B G=O H=Z I=Q J=G K=S L=K M=C N=V O=F P=A Q=R R=I S=E T=M U=T V=Y W=D X=P Y=N Z=H
- “If he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. II. Chap. V. 1763 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=V C=J D=L E=P F=A G=H H=F I=W J=M K=B L=Z M=C N=E O=T P=O Q=S R=N S=Y T=R U=K V=U W=Q X=D Y=X Z=I
- “My friend was of opinion that when a man of rank appeared in that character [as an author], he deserved to have his merits handsomely allowed.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. III. 1781 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=P C=Y D=N E=Q F=S G=V H=R I=K J=H K=M L=I M=W N=T O=C P=F Q=L R=U S=B T=X U=E V=G W=A X=Z Y=O Z=D