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.
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)
“It is remarkable how few events or crises there are in our histories, how little exercised we have been in our minds, how few experiences we have had.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=C B=U C=Y D=P E=J F=D G=S H=O I=R J=X K=T L=I M=K N=B O=M P=G Q=F R=L S=H T=E U=N V=A W=Z X=V Y=W Z=Q
“A little neglect may breed mischief: for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.”— Benjamin Franklin, 1757, The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard, 1758), Maxims prefixed to Poor Richard's Almanac, 1757 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=L C=V D=P E=G F=Q G=B H=J I=R J=X K=W L=N M=S N=A O=Y P=E Q=T R=O S=I T=U U=D V=M W=Z X=K Y=H Z=F
“It is a good point of cunning for a man to shape the answer he would have in his own words and propositions, for it makes the other party stick the less.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Cunning (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=S C=F D=X E=I F=P G=V H=Q I=O J=E K=W L=Z M=C N=L O=T P=A Q=Y R=G S=B T=D U=R V=H W=M X=N Y=K Z=U
“We can, however, do nothing of permanent value for peace unless we keep ever clearly in mind the ethical element which lies at the root of the problem.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1905, Fifth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=B B=X C=U D=F E=K F=P G=J H=Z I=W J=Y K=C L=S M=G N=M O=V P=E Q=A R=L S=N T=R U=D V=I W=Q X=H Y=T Z=O
“There is now less flogging in our great schools than formerly, - but then less is learned there; so that what the boys get at one end they lose at the other.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. I. 1775 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=L C=T D=K E=W F=Q G=B H=X I=G J=C K=A L=H M=Z N=P O=S P=I Q=F R=Y S=U T=D U=E V=J W=O X=V Y=N Z=R
“We can not hope to succeed in directing this increasingly complex civilization unless we can draw all the talent of leadership from the whole people.”— Herbert Hoover, 1929, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=F B=X C=E D=P E=C F=N G=H H=G I=R J=A K=V L=S M=O N=L O=K P=M Q=W R=Q S=U T=J U=B V=Y W=I X=D Y=Z Z=T