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.
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)
“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”— Proverb, 1900, Chinese proverbCipher key: A=M B=Q C=Z D=C E=K F=R G=X H=L I=T J=O K=A L=Y M=E N=I O=S P=V Q=W R=J S=U T=D U=G V=H W=P X=B Y=F Z=N
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Julius CaesarCipher key: A=X B=N C=B D=Z E=L F=V G=O H=J I=R J=I K=E L=P M=K N=Q O=Y P=W Q=F R=G S=H T=A U=D V=T W=C X=S Y=M Z=U
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”— Mark Twain, 1904, NotebookCipher key: A=B B=O C=A D=E E=F F=I G=C H=L I=V J=K K=Q L=T M=G N=D O=S P=J Q=N R=H S=M T=X U=W V=P W=Z X=Y Y=R Z=U
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”— Proverb, 1885, English proverbCipher key: A=G B=R C=M D=B E=O F=A G=X H=T I=L J=V K=U L=Q M=C N=J O=K P=W Q=I R=Y S=H T=E U=N V=S W=F X=Z Y=P Z=D
“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”— Mark Twain, 1894, Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=P B=L C=W D=H E=U F=T G=Z H=O I=D J=G K=S L=J M=C N=Q O=M P=N Q=E R=K S=X T=A U=Y V=F W=I X=V Y=R Z=B
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”— Charles Dickens, 1859, A Tale of Two CitiesCipher key: A=Q B=I C=L D=V E=Z F=D G=X H=Y I=G J=C K=B L=R M=O N=A O=K P=E Q=P R=T S=M T=U U=W V=H W=N X=F Y=S Z=J