Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
OPEDWPCAPCYQPSWPBCXDGWBSP;VAPFBCCAPKDYFC,SWPBCEPBW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Time Cryptograms Set 8
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.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: B = S
KFMPRIBKHMBKQCYNZMNBKFUKLUYBIEECQKEQCBEMQCIBAUPB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: G = E
YTGYLSGSZCIGLRCYAJPYTGRGODARCRDHJUUGHYCJZJPQJJMR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = S
LZNPLNGDMZKGVPURAZY,LZNPCPHULXZKIXPLGHIRPLLZKIUNP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: T = E
KRIOEHVOZCTXLZTNZVLATXXTVLELMTZRFLJKZCTZJYTXDJKK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
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- H
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: I = T
SBIIBKZQBEBLOXOCBQNIIUBRZIQBIIUNCNIIUBANQIEREBCI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
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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 (6 solutions)
- “Before the time great courage; when at the point, great fear.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=A C=T D=O E=F F=N G=U H=K I=S J=Y K=P L=J M=X N=L O=B P=E Q=M R=Z S=G T=D U=Q V=W W=R X=C Y=I Z=V
- “They must be strong legs that can support prosperous days.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=S C=O D=K E=P F=H G=X H=B I=U J=V K=T L=C M=E N=G O=F P=Y Q=R R=M S=Z T=J U=A V=W W=Q X=I Y=N Z=L
- “The true University of these days is a Collection of Books.”— Thomas Carlyle, 1841, On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Heroes and Hero-Worship. The Hero as a Man of Letters (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=Z C=I D=A E=J F=X G=E H=C I=V J=O K=W L=R M=K N=G O=D P=F Q=B R=S S=U T=H U=L V=M W=Q X=P Y=T Z=N
- “Some smack of age in you, some relish of the saltness of time.”— William Shakespeare, 1598, King Henry IV, Part II, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=Z C=R D=C E=Q F=X G=A H=L I=T J=B K=F L=S M=K N=M O=P P=E Q=W R=N S=V T=J U=I V=G W=D X=H Y=U Z=O
- “Now spurs the lated traveller apace to gain the timely inn.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=K C=H D=Y E=P F=G G=J H=U I=W J=I K=N L=A M=C N=D O=S P=F Q=B R=O S=Z T=E U=X V=R W=Q X=L Y=M Z=T
- “Better use medicines at the outset than at the last moment.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 866 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=E C=N D=G E=M F=Q G=W H=K I=T J=P K=R L=D M=V N=A O=I P=Y Q=S R=O S=B T=J U=H V=X W=Z X=C Y=F Z=U