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.
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)
“Accommodated; that is, when a man is, as they say, accommodated; or when a man is, being, whereby a' may be thought to be accommodated, - which is an excellent thing.”— William Shakespeare, 1598, King Henry IV, Part II, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=K C=W D=T E=A F=V G=Q H=R I=Y J=G K=F L=B M=E N=D O=Z P=O Q=L R=I S=X T=U U=H V=S W=N X=P Y=C Z=M
“Delivers in such apt and gracious words that aged ears play truant at his tales, And younger hearings are quite ravished; So sweet and voluble is his discourse.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, Love's Labour's Lost, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=W C=H D=O E=X F=N G=Y H=E I=Z J=V K=T L=Q M=J N=I O=D P=S Q=P R=M S=L T=R U=K V=A W=U X=C Y=F Z=B
“Time travels in divers paces with divers persons. I'll tell you who Time ambles withal, who Time trots withal, who Time gallops withal, and who he stands still withal.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=E C=G D=A E=I F=D G=H H=S I=F J=M K=R L=Q M=U N=P O=L P=Y Q=C R=O S=V T=W U=Z V=B W=J X=N Y=K Z=X
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=J C=E D=G E=W F=D G=Y H=R I=P J=F K=Q L=U M=T N=B O=L P=N Q=H R=V S=X T=M U=I V=S W=Z X=K Y=O Z=A
“He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one; Exceeding wise, fair-spoken, and persuading; Lofty and sour to them that loved him not, But to those men that sought him sweet as summer.”— William Shakespeare, 1592, King Henry VI, II. Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=N C=G D=S E=H F=J G=M H=T I=P J=O K=L L=Q M=D N=U O=E P=F Q=Z R=W S=I T=K U=Y V=X W=C X=V Y=R Z=A