Puzzle 1
Starter clue: J = T
JQHVMJWDDYLRHUJMHBHSPNWRYDDFYJHUJMQYN,WRUDFYJDQYNJMYJDHVT.
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
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 139
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: I = E
TIBTXYFLQIQXATINQKLQADXAFIVYNAUMLGYNYFXLAATIYDQBINTIZIAQ.
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 3
Starter clue: L = E
TFPRLZLENHLDRQHHKAUCQVBAQELMKE,MKELZLEWTFWFLFPCPTFLELMKEL.
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: O = E
FKYOJOLDUCDSOUWSKYOZ,FUUHLMUZAOSLEX,ZUVNOOZODJXKJLFKDLZKUD.
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: F = E
MFDSTIRXKTQDUFNWTJNRRDIEGFYQDPKTKFQTKFNKXPKQSFDNHFHNKKFL.
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: K = R
OAVBAFLYKLOFCLKHMKGETMFMKEPWLFHAVALFLUNKLGNMKAVJNKMQEAPG.
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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- X
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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 lot assigned to every man is suited to him, and suits him to itself.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, III. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=V C=K D=S E=C F=U G=X H=E I=W J=T K=J L=G M=O N=M O=Z P=Y Q=H R=N S=R T=F U=D V=L W=A X=P Y=I Z=Q
- “He who abuses others must not be particular about the answer he gets.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=W C=D D=N E=K F=B G=L H=Y I=E J=F K=M L=U M=C N=R O=J P=X Q=S R=Z S=Q T=H U=I V=P W=V X=O Y=A Z=G
- “Whatever sceptic could inquire for, For every why he had a wherefore.”— Samuel Butler, 1663, Hudibras, Part I, Canto I. Line 131 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=Q C=D D=P E=R F=H G=J H=C I=B J=X K=O L=E M=F N=S O=K P=A Q=I R=T S=Z T=W U=L V=N W=Y X=M Y=G Z=V
- “Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act IV. Sc. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=L C=U D=N E=R F=G G=X H=D I=Q J=M K=I L=A M=P N=W O=E P=K Q=Z R=B S=C T=J U=O V=S W=F X=Y Y=V Z=T
- “We should not speak of all subjects in one tone and in the same manner.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=Z B=Y C=V D=S E=B F=E G=J H=M I=U J=F K=N L=R M=W N=A O=G P=I Q=T R=L S=H T=O U=P V=Q W=K X=D Y=C Z=X
- “Within our own borders a general condition of prosperity prevails.”— Benjamin Harrison, 1889, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=I B=H C=B D=M E=A F=N G=S H=D I=Q J=Y K=R L=O M=E N=P O=W P=L Q=V R=Z S=X T=G U=F V=T W=C X=K Y=U Z=J