Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = O
ZLLXPLA,YCNMEBNLVMGLIGBOIBTYINPLUIYIMBOBVMV.
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
Terence Cryptograms Set 1
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: G = T
FBDGTAYKNXIAYGBCNZJDIGKI,NKGCGRAFSDNNAYJTBODCS.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = N
DJCDJR,JKBADJPDOOWDEJKFBAWBAWOJKBXRRJOWDEXRCKNR.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: E = A
MLKVERZEJFWEMZWECBXFWCKQWKMKLEYWLEZMXTHMHTNKML.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: B = I
BCRJNIBYXBEPNYVVNCQUXVPZYMUCHVZZCIRIBMXPYJBFFVU.
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
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- X
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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)
- “Look you, I am the most concerned in my own interests.”— Terence, 166 BC, Andria, Act IV. Sc. 1, 12. (636) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=E C=A D=B E=H F=P G=C H=F I=N J=G K=V L=O M=T N=M O=R P=Y Q=Z R=J S=X T=D U=W V=S W=Q X=K Y=I Z=L
- “What comes from this quarter, set it down as so much gain.”— Terence, 160 BC, Adelphoe, Act V. Sc. 3, 30. (816) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=H C=I D=A E=B F=W G=T H=V I=R J=U K=E L=X M=J N=S O=G P=Y Q=L R=D S=N T=C U=P V=K W=Z X=F Y=M Z=Q
- “In fine, nothing is said now that has not been said before.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, The Prologue. 41 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=T C=F D=I E=D F=W G=M H=L I=P J=N K=O L=Z M=Y N=R O=S P=G Q=U R=E S=Q T=K U=V V=X W=A X=B Y=C Z=J
- “This and a great deal more like it I have had to put up with.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, Act IV. Sc. 6, 8. (746) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=M C=L D=C E=A F=R G=Q H=U I=B J=G K=I L=H M=T N=W O=X P=F Q=K R=N S=Z T=P U=Y V=S W=E X=O Y=V Z=D
- “I only wish I may see your head stroked down with a slipper.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, Act V. Sc. 7, 4. (1028) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=I C=O D=V E=M F=P G=B H=K I=W J=L K=Z L=Q M=T N=Y O=G P=A Q=U R=N S=C T=J U=R V=E W=F X=H Y=S Z=D