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Wisdom · Set 156

Wisdom Cryptograms Set 156

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 1

Medium · 59 letters

Starter clue: D = E

PQPGOJPBBDLBDGGPIADSWJEAPSQIDQRDDJWLLWGPJVOJKDJKFBPJVEWBSDG.

Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
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  • P
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  • X
  • Y
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Puzzle 2

Hard · 59 letters

Starter clue: X = E

HXIUXIYMEJJMSWPPSWLQIPPLQXYILWJYDJZLQXXIBLQUJYLWYVXVYRBJNXY.

Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
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Puzzle 3

Medium · 59 letters

Starter clue: D = E

DTTETEREMHPHEPZJUFDXEWDTJXDVOLDTDTDJBEPHBWDRXRTDDXEIEZFJXHX.

Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
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Puzzle 4

Hard · 59 letters

Starter clue: E = T

XEXNTBEEAOWDOMEONEFOMQEXONEAMEXTNYXDOEAOLBNEYDBPBQTHYMNNXBT.

Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
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Puzzle 5

Medium · 59 letters

Starter clue: D = T

CRTVNDKVDNHTRNDRRWJROTNYFDXRGHVFBODYHFNHGHVUPURBYDNDUVPDVUR.

Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
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Puzzle 6

Medium · 59 letters

Starter clue: W = E

SONLYOTFKINSCMRWITSTQWFIGZFCO,BWSOFQWTCNKWSOTIYTIKWGFIYWZNLC.

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
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  • 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)
  1. “It is an irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces.”— William H. Seward, 1858, Speech, Oct. 25, 1858 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=R C=M D=E E=F F=U G=S H=K I=B J=N K=D L=P M=Z N=V O=A P=I Q=T R=W S=C T=H U=X V=G W=O X=J Y=Q Z=Y
  2. “Peace and good will with all the nations of the earth continue unbroken.”— William McKinley, 1897, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Q B=R C=Y D=S E=G F=Z G=J H=P I=A J=O K=X L=T M=D N=K O=M P=L Q=H R=B S=W T=V U=C V=U W=I X=E Y=N Z=F
  3. “Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”— Thomas Jefferson, 1801, First Inaugural Address. March 4, 1801 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=S C=V D=E E=O F=B G=U H=I I=C J=A K=X L=H M=P N=K O=W P=N Q=J R=F S=Q T=R U=Y V=D W=L X=T Y=Z Z=M
  4. “It is not the greatest beauties that inspire the most profound passion.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=O C=V D=R E=T F=B G=Z H=D I=Y J=W K=C L=M M=A N=S O=E P=F Q=U R=K S=J T=N U=Q V=L W=G X=I Y=P Z=X
  5. “We must put some steel beams in the foundations of our credit structure.”— Herbert Hoover, 1931, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=X B=D C=W D=T E=V F=N G=F H=O I=J J=B K=P L=K M=Q N=S O=A P=C Q=Y R=E S=Z T=M U=R V=U W=L X=H Y=I Z=G
  6. “Though I am not splenitive and rash, Yet have I something in me dangerous.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=S D=Z E=J F=A G=D H=Q I=N J=B K=M L=U M=P N=O O=H P=K Q=V R=L S=T T=I U=F V=W W=E X=C Y=G Z=R