Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = E
HJMAMLHMMXHJSLASYHJMAMLHMMXHJSLABLCHSGM,SDBYRMHJBHBAMLHXMGBLRMMYSLBTWLTBHMLBHSWLBTTWFPSLAXC.
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
Time Cryptograms Set 29
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: Y = O
XWZYIYQGIYXPIWZJFOWKYYQJIQRWXYYZH,XWUPIIYQQWOOYEKUYEKHWFVQRWHQPKH,IYKQRWRYEKYBQRWZPVFVQRWHEI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = E
CGCYGCQAGUIGJAUIOXTDPQQPTYDUPPKY,GUIGJAOCOTPGKAISAPLLPXNAOXDIGCPTJUATJAVAMCTGPVAQATITOJPQAT.
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: C = E
LTZZCZ!GXCGOKCGXOGTJCKOGCGXTZKCZZYWZCCLZGYVOJJI,-VXYYZCWYGOKYWCODJYDCJLOGC,AQGDJYDCJGTLCGYLOJJI.
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: I = A
SCSMIMEDCVGIHHUSVOCEDVVUSGZMYKSQKIASMVEGUPDAELIKIUDKETA'MIQJTISGCIGQV,IMCEIAVIU,MCAEGZICCIQKLVGC.
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 6
Starter clue: A = E
AJADXVIQSILTKBFIITBYDTEHKFAIKASTHUFJFIAUGXBWAODAHAIBFZAIBQLHQZAGQUX,GALQDAFBSTHTKBYTEEXJADFLFAU.
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
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- X
- Y
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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)
- “The genteel thing is the genteel thing any time, if as be that a gentleman bees in a concatenation accordingly.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1773, She Stoops to Conquer, Act I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=A C=Y D=F E=K F=R G=M H=T I=Q J=H K=U L=N M=E N=J O=Z P=D Q=W R=B S=I T=C U=X V=P W=O X=L Y=S Z=V
- “We do not know an edible root in the woods, we cannot tell our course by the stars, nor the hour of the day by the sun.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=M B=F C=Q D=J E=U F=B G=K H=S I=N J=I K=R L=Z M=V N=G O=L P=A Q=T R=H S=P T=X U=C V=Y W=E X=W Y=O Z=D
- “It is time that we had uncommon schools, that we did not leave off our education when we begin to be men and women.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=E B=Y C=I D=C E=P F=K G=T H=Q I=A J=W K=L L=F M=G N=R O=D P=O Q=M R=X S=V T=N U=H V=B W=Z X=U Y=S Z=J
- “Misses! the tale that I relate this lesson seems to carry, - Choose not alone a proper mate, But proper time to marry.”— William Cowper, 1795, Pairing Time Anticipated (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=K C=E D=P E=F F=D G=T H=J I=Y J=R K=L L=M M=Q N=W O=A P=V Q=U R=G S=X T=I U=Z V=C W=N X=H Y=O Z=S
- “It is as often applied to feelings which arise only from a half hour's acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment.”— Jane Austen, 1813, Pride and PrejudiceCipher key: A=R B=K C=T D=F E=O F=X G=N H=P I=A J=Q K=H L=M M=S N=V O=D P=Y Q=C R=J S=I T=U U=L V=E W=Z X=B Y=W Z=G
- “Every known fact in natural science was divined by the presentiment of somebody, before it was actually verified.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=E B=T C=Q D=R E=L F=I G=B H=S I=N J=V K=C L=F M=X N=G O=P P=J Q=O R=Z S=W T=A U=D V=K W=H X=Y Y=U Z=M