Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = E
YFBLDPPBSBOLBYLQPYFBUHHBPLBBHTUOBQAGFNOMBLS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Sir Walter Scott Cryptograms Set 1
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 = T
IXKSXZKSEKEIHJGTWGJROGXOMKSORAMKOFAWHRAMKOFXOM!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = T
AKTOT'LRKTZUAEOHRKERAUIPHVURHEOTRUSDNKRSUOLIZKEPEVH?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Y = E
IXYF,REHLFACFSCRKBFLCFHACFY,IYZCEQVDNYYVCEUHYVMYHBVCFY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = S
ATDQTCQ,ATDQWFF!XRHLSTAYLRWFFBFUBSTDHXLBHSDGWLQWLLTTCWLH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = E
ZFIUBVFFQFTTGVMZAAZFPFTANXNI,XGIBGHFITBGHFAZFPFTAFIDTANI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
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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)
- “The sun never sets on the immense empire of Charles V.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1807, Life of Napoleon. (February, 1807) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=E C=B D=U E=Z F=H G=C H=M I=W J=Q K=X L=S M=L N=A O=R P=N Q=O R=D S=V T=P U=I V=K W=J X=Y Y=T Z=G
- “Within that awful volume lies the mystery of mysteries!”— Sir Walter Scott, 1820, The Monastery, Chap. XII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=K C=Z D=G E=A F=R G=L H=F I=W J=U K=T L=P M=S N=Q O=E P=J Q=X R=M S=H T=V U=D V=B W=O X=I Y=C Z=N
- “Where's the coward that would not dare to fight for such a land?”— Sir Walter Scott, 1808, Marmion, Canto IV. Stanza 30 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=Y C=Q D=I E=A F=J G=K H=D I=U J=M K=H L=S M=Z N=G O=R P=L Q=P R=T S=F T=E U=O V=N W=V X=B Y=X Z=C
- “When, musing on companions gone, We doubly feel ourselves alone.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1808, Marmion, Introduction to Canto II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=A C=O D=Y E=U F=N G=T H=S I=W J=K K=P L=I M=V N=F O=Z P=Q Q=B R=M S=C T=J U=R V=L W=X X=H Y=E Z=D
- “Come one, come all! this rock shall fly from its firm base as soon as I.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Canto V. Stanza 10 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=F C=N D=M E=U F=L G=B H=I I=W J=V K=Q L=S M=J N=D O=P P=X Q=E R=H S=R T=O U=Y V=Z W=A X=T Y=K Z=G
- “Her blue eyes sought the west afar, For lovers love the western star.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1805, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Canto III. Stanza 24 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=L C=D D=N E=Z F=E G=O H=V I=R J=K K=Q L=C M=G N=A O=P P=W Q=Y R=I S=M T=S U=B V=U W=X X=F Y=J Z=H