Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
GQWQVOIWPGMXVCZBWGWEW,GQVGJOMMSPVLSPYWWDPMLQBPMKLQWVOG.
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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- U
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- W
- X
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- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 126
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: M = E
CNMLGMQMIRMFRGMVMQMIGJUCMV,SVWCNMUCYRJWRMFRGMVMQMICSGO.
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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- W
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: N = E
ZLNFTVNMBZEQJNELBUQXNZBZLNAJNOXNJZLNHVNSQZSRNZBBZLNVJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = I
EYFPAWJDLGBLJUJDHLGAFRAPYMAFAYF,BFWYMAFAYFAPAFLGHMYNJD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = E
CXCYKDHGMKXCLUHZCJK'HIFHGOKCEGDPEXCLUKVJBKHHDWKPKCGEBK.
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: U = E
NVGUDVBUQANZUKUHDU,VHSNZUKQJHSILMWWNVGUDVBUQANZUFIUWRUI.
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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- W
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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 harvest of a quiet eye, That broods and sleeps on his own heart.”— William Wordsworth, 1800, Lyrical Ballads (1800), A Poet's Epitaph. Stanza 13 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=I C=Q D=P E=Y F=M G=T H=K I=V J=B K=W L=N M=O N=Z O=R P=S Q=H R=C S=D T=J U=X V=A W=E X=F Y=L Z=U
- “The clever people never listen, and the stupid people never talk.”— Oscar Wilde, 1893, A Woman of No ImportanceCipher key: A=F B=G C=T D=B E=M F=O G=L H=Z I=R J=I K=Q L=C M=E N=H O=K P=X Q=V R=P S=A T=Y U=S V=N W=D X=W Y=U Z=J
- “They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=M B=O C=P D=B E=W F=Y G=Q H=C I=K J=S K=Z L=H M=N N=E O=L P=X Q=I R=U S=D T=A U=G V=R W=F X=V Y=J Z=T
- “Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=I B=A C=Z D=R E=C F=N G=H H=Y I=Q J=E K=B L=T M=P N=W O=X P=S Q=L R=G S=K T=M U=V V=F W=D X=J Y=O Z=U
- “A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Y B=R C=A D=I E=U F=O G=T H=S I=M J=P K=E L=N M=H N=J O=B P=F Q=G R=Q S=Z T=W U=D V=X W=V X=L Y=K Z=C
- “Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=F B=R C=G D=C E=J F=M G=K H=N I=S J=U K=P L=W M=I N=T O=B P=Y Q=O R=V S=D T=X U=E V=A W=L X=Z Y=Q Z=H