Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = N
CNDYKRWAIWVYCQIBCGJXIBAWGQ,XIQRCXECGGIBFINYBIRCTWGEXIGERCTYGWGIBBWGE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
- N
- O
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- Z
Spanish proverb Cryptograms Set 23
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: U = E
PSUASUVASUKTAOSUVBAVTHUASUBAZWU,ZVASUBAZWUASUKTAOSUV,PZUXUAZASUKTAOSUV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: S = A
WZYYVMQASCCSXANXKWJZPSAEZW-DYSFZ,SKOMKZHXYYFSYYWJZPRYSFESKOSKMWJZAHJXWZ.
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: V = O
CVTAVFALXPLNVAOFVLCVTADVH,PFOEAWVFALXPLNVAOFVLBPCCDVH,PFNDVHEUCCWHFPYWHULCAOOWPBA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Z = T
MPIMBHZZIPCZRSCXPOVZHCXVCBZMACK,HZZMAOZRJCBIVCBZMACK,HCXHZGBOZRMHVCBZMACK,IAWWWPHXHIOPZFMPXBWXHKP.
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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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)
- “If you have a loitering servant, set his dinner before him and send him on an errand.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=R C=I D=Y E=D F=B G=N H=K I=E J=G K=U L=W M=C N=F O=J P=Z Q=T R=H S=X T=M U=Q V=L W=A X=S Y=O Z=P
- “Whether the pitcher strike the stone, or the stone the pitcher, woe be to the pitcher.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=S C=Z D=G E=F F=J G=D H=K I=V J=U K=P L=Q M=X N=Y O=C P=W Q=A R=L S=H T=I U=E V=R W=N X=B Y=M Z=O
- “Tell your affairs in the market-place, and one will call them black and another white.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=G C=F D=P E=K F=C G=Z H=W I=X J=H K=N L=V M=O N=S O=D P=M Q=U R=B S=A T=J U=Q V=Y W=T X=I Y=L Z=E
- “Love one that does not love you, answer one that does not call you, and you will run a fruitless race.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=C C=L D=Y E=W F=N G=Q H=U I=G J=B K=P L=T M=Z N=D O=S P=A Q=M R=X S=J T=V U=I V=O W=R X=H Y=F Z=K
- “He who at twenty understands nothing, at thirty knows nothing, and at forty has nothing, will lead a wretched old age.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=O C=N D=V E=Q F=C G=F H=A I=W J=K K=G L=Z M=H N=X O=R P=E Q=B R=Y S=U T=P U=J V=S W=L X=D Y=M Z=T