Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
OJOEGMEGSGFYNFLPSOFIOFPSOAUBECY,OPOAPSGQAGBJKLBENDQCNEPBFIQG,NFYNFODGYGENFIGKGFPBJGMOPNMSA!
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
Winter Cryptograms Set 18
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: V = E
QJVYHSNVGLVSYVUNQJIQJVJINSHQJUSMDVWQWHZDUWVOLQJUNRZVALKUYVN,JUNRZUSYURDVN,ISKJUNYHEEHSNVSNV.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
FCSTTLJTVDHDMTAWDHATGRHEHNACIFAETWWIEYXNWDFVTSTONWDWMHSDMIDSTATGRHEDMTFACIFAETWWIEYXNWDFVT.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: O = E
RVJORXERQDIJRBORZXGKQUELUXIOOAFOZXOHXKIOFOJPKJEOHCGXWKLXCGXQOUU,PKJKQOXWRXZKEOUXKUKEOQKXGZO.
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
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = E
KDAZCMLRDAZBPZNVCHGLMVDALZXLVJLBMCLAPNLBNPEMLRLBZVELLCZXLEQLHCBFDLBZPECBLNNCMCLBZHWPEJVBCOLQ.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = E
LXBGXBUZTSSZMRPPABKXEXXU,BUZMRPPAXHXBVWXHEX,GOPWRKBWXZMRWABPP,BUZEFWAXNSIWVBRWAVOPHXTBHZWSDOIWRGX.
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)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “If I reprehend anything in this world, it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!”— Richard Brinsley Sheridan, 1775, The Rivals, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=O C=L D=C E=R F=N G=E H=K I=G J=F K=M L=Y M=P N=A O=I P=T Q=U R=Q S=H T=Z U=W V=J W=X X=V Y=D Z=B
- “The consequence is that he has nothing left for life but his prejudices, his principles, and his common sense.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=J B=V C=Y D=L E=M F=Z G=Q H=O I=A J=H K=D L=U M=G N=S O=B P=X Q=T R=P S=N T=K U=I V=E W=F X=W Y=C Z=R
- “If we expect others to rely on our fairness and justice we must show that we rely on their fairness and justice.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=R B=Z C=F D=T E=N F=I G=L H=O I=A J=P K=B L=X M=H N=U O=M P=G Q=K R=Y S=W T=E U=V V=C W=S X=J Y=D Z=Q
- “A great many brave actions must be expected to be performed without witness, for one that comes to some notice.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=X B=V C=W D=Y E=M F=P G=I H=D I=B J=R K=O L=U M=K N=L O=E P=F Q=N R=A S=Z T=J U=S V=G W=H X=T Y=Q Z=C
- “Justice must not fail because the agencies of enforcement are either delinquent or inefficiently organized.”— Herbert Hoover, 1929, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=S B=N C=I D=U E=R F=Q G=B H=L I=X J=G K=J L=E M=C N=F O=Z P=O Q=D R=M S=V T=P U=K V=A W=Y X=H Y=W Z=T
- “Peace and good will have been, and will hereafter be, cultivated with all, and by the most faithful regard to justice.”— James Monroe, 1821, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=H B=A C=K D=J E=B F=Y G=C H=R I=S J=Z K=V L=P M=W N=M O=U P=L Q=X R=I S=O T=G U=N V=F W=T X=E Y=Q Z=D