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)
“It behooves a prudent person to make trial of everything before arms.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, Act IV. Sc. 7, 19. (789) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=U C=G D=Q E=Y F=S G=Z H=E I=P J=T K=M L=F M=D N=O O=X P=B Q=J R=V S=L T=I U=K V=A W=C X=H Y=R Z=N
“It is the common vice of all, in old age, to be too intent upon our interests.”— Terence, 160 BC, Adelphoe, Act V. Sc. 8, 30. (953) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=E C=K D=R E=Y F=J G=B H=G I=P J=Z K=T L=Q M=S N=L O=C P=I Q=A R=O S=V T=U U=H V=W W=M X=F Y=N Z=X
“It is a maxim of old that among themselves all things are common to friends.”— Terence, 160 BC, Adelphoe, Act V. Sc. 3, 18. (803) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=P C=Z D=H E=S F=M G=D H=L I=R J=W K=I L=A M=B N=Q O=F P=U Q=C R=Y S=X T=E U=G V=J W=T X=O Y=K Z=V
“If I could believe that this was said sincerely, I could put up with anything.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, Act I. Sc. 2, 96. (176) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=E C=G D=Y E=L F=J G=D H=W I=N J=S K=U L=X M=T N=Q O=V P=A Q=K R=F S=O T=I U=B V=C W=R X=P Y=Z Z=H
“I am a man, and nothing that concerns a man do I deem a matter of indifference to me.”— Terence, 163 BC, Heautontimoroumenos (Heauton Timorumenos), Act I. Sc. 1, 25. (77) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=Z C=W D=F E=S F=Y G=M H=J I=A J=K K=T L=N M=Q N=O O=H P=C Q=V R=L S=R T=I U=P V=G W=B X=D Y=U Z=X