Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = N
XRSKUXOMFXMRPQRNSRZXRSKUXO,FXDPRGQSKFXFSKUXOMFXORHFMVSRXRSKUXO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- X
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- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 164
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
UHUFHZZIQYPHZDKSDYHZWEYEHHPEHFPDFPZQXBFUHLGHPDIUXJEVBVZHXESUH.
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: N = E
BUVAEYDSIBTBUNKTCNXATEBUNXYIQUYJNCNGYDHUNQTICSBUTVBSGRNQSGNIB.
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: Q = T
QKPWGGYPWGPYYGGMQPDCDQGQKPTCQIKPD,QCAAHQAHYQYKPYQCITYQGQKPYJCQ.
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: H = T
OSRPPEHHRVJFOHBSOGMHOPHBMXEEW,RIOPMAZTT-UMPHVMWRPHBRH'TRVVAMXIZWM.
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: O = T
OKGCGWOZAKZWNMOJXMOTJEYZARGEGDZWMOTMWJXWZEZOMEOKGLMXX,CQOMEAJOG.
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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- T
- U
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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)
- “Nothing can come out of nothing, any more than a thing can go back to nothing.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=V C=P D=Y E=J F=A G=R H=B I=Q J=W K=H L=X M=C N=U O=G P=M Q=E R=O S=T T=D U=I V=K W=L X=N Y=S Z=F
- “It is too much to expect of a cat that she should sit by the milk and not lap it.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=D C=J D=E E=A F=S G=Y H=T I=M J=K K=X L=B M=Q N=V O=Z P=H Q=U R=W S=P T=G U=I V=N W=F X=L Y=C Z=O
- “Thus far into the bowels of the land have we marched on without impediment.”— William Shakespeare, 1593, King Richard III, Act V. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=T C=W D=R E=F F=J G=M H=C I=N J=V K=B L=Z M=G N=E O=K P=Y Q=D R=P S=I T=O U=H V=U W=Q X=L Y=A Z=X
- “The goose goes so often into the kitchen, till at last she sticks to the spit.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=X C=I D=N E=J F=Z G=O H=A I=C J=P K=H L=V M=F N=B O=M P=E Q=T R=U S=R T=K U=Y V=D W=G X=W Y=S Z=Q
- “I cannot talk with civet in the room, A fine puss-gentleman that's all perfume.”— William Cowper, 1782, Poems (1782), Conversation. Line 283 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=H C=Y D=Q E=O F=W G=V H=T I=F J=K K=Z L=B M=E N=D O=I P=N Q=X R=A S=C T=S U=G V=L W=M X=R Y=J Z=U
- “The best of hospitality and of generosity is also not in the will, but in fate.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=F B=J C=B D=R E=N F=C G=E H=Z I=K J=A K=H L=W M=I N=P O=T P=M Q=U R=G S=Q T=Y U=V V=X W=S X=L Y=D Z=O