Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = O
BZVBQGILXOAKBQIAZLRCBZTKJWZC-NXKDZ,GILXOAZLCBZJCQQBLSBQJCQQXQV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
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- F
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- H
- I
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- O
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Wisdom Cryptograms Set 159
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: H = T
ZSUMNHHIACHZNDFNHNKHSESSRNDHSZCQQNDIKKHZASJFZCDSHZIABCD'KIPIK!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: U = N
GSGWQLUGNYKUZXYKXLFUEBEZLLXKUDXCGNNGWNYOUOULNYGW'XUKDYNKUDOPG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = O
YRYUUMFKPJSKJAZWEWAMSRRNERVKAVPKUNAMPWSKEQAAWWKEPYWPKYZJAMRN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = T
OZAUFJKSQXFVLQCLZQKCQFLBXLZQSFXLFLLFRSQFJULZQVBCXLLARQWNVVQU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = N
VBQUOPWYLXGWYQLQKCYSOLM;VQSLWMWTRVCOXMWPVLXGWYQLYLXOKJMQLXVLC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “He who builds a house in the market-place, builds either too high or too low.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=H C=T D=C E=X F=Y G=B H=F I=U J=R K=A L=I M=Z N=P O=D P=J Q=O R=N S=G T=M U=V V=W W=K X=L Y=Q Z=E
- “How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes!”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act V. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=M C=A D=N E=L F=G G=F H=T I=E J=U K=S L=J M=B N=I O=C P=Y Q=P R=K S=O T=V U=W V=Q W=X X=Z Y=D Z=H
- “Every one thinks his own cuckoo sings better than another's nightingale.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=U C=B D=G E=C F=W G=E H=P I=F J=X K=I L=O M=Z N=T O=A P=L Q=Y R=D S=V T=Q U=N V=J W=R X=S Y=H Z=K
- “It is surely beyond a doubt that people should be a good deal idle in youth.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=O B=W C=V D=F E=A F=R G=M H=K I=Q J=Y K=E L=C M=U N=H O=J P=L Q=G R=T S=B T=X U=S V=P W=D X=Z Y=I Z=N
- “Who dangles after the great is the last at table and the first to be cuffed.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=I C=R D=Y E=P F=A G=K H=Q I=J J=N K=G L=T M=X N=U O=W P=Z Q=E R=B S=L T=V U=D V=F W=C X=S Y=M Z=H
- “I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. IX. 1784 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=H C=G D=Q E=W F=X G=Y H=C I=Z J=S K=R L=N M=T N=J O=E P=F Q=A R=L S=M T=B U=V V=I W=O X=D Y=U Z=P