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 is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=F B=J C=B D=C E=A F=N G=H H=V I=Q J=Z K=I L=S M=P N=D O=R P=M Q=K R=O S=U T=G U=Y V=W W=L X=T Y=X Z=E
“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=N B=R C=M D=Z E=W F=G G=H H=L I=C J=T K=P L=X M=U N=V O=S P=J Q=E R=Q S=D T=K U=B V=F W=O X=Y Y=A Z=I
“Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=W B=I C=U D=P E=O F=E G=L H=V I=H J=F K=T L=B M=J N=A O=M P=D Q=S R=N S=Z T=X U=K V=Y W=Q X=G Y=C Z=R
“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=C B=T C=R D=B E=P F=U G=N H=J I=W J=Z K=V L=M M=H N=E O=Y P=G Q=X R=F S=L T=A U=O V=I W=Q X=K Y=S Z=D
“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=T B=Y C=B D=I E=O F=G G=Z H=M I=W J=R K=J L=K M=X N=P O=D P=Q Q=A R=C S=U T=V U=L V=S W=N X=H Y=F Z=E