Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = T
FOZDCMNKPSQZKFOZCFOZAQFCRJFCDDFOZSAFNSWQ,GZRNJQZOZONKWZDFOSQCIESEFOZFANL.
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 197
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: R = E
KIKJMOBTRJRGSRZQUKGAKGVGITKRARURTWRGSKRJIEDIIERGDIKHRURIDYZQDUDGKJIRJIRA.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = E
PLYWSALNKQSSUNKPLRSKKGMLWBMPKGASYD,NHLLKGNKPLFYBWYSNLFLLFNVLDLGKPKPLKPSYD.
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: X = E
EXPYMWYDLXYEXXAU,WJIFBPXEXPYMWYDLXYDKUY,YDVXJAXOUWOYEBNX,WJIXVBZMXJAXBTXCXY.
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
Starter clue: L = O
RUKZPGHTVXTFCLWIUKZNIRE,ELIPKZTFCOTVXPSKZTEODUVLIPE.LGPF,MLVXE,OZLPBPHXFLVXE!
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 6
Starter clue: O = E
DSOIOXCYPXGGOIOAROTODVOOAOYDXAUYAPPIXAMXAUGZICDIOAUDSYAPGIZFFOIOUJNDDZAH.
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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- R
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- T
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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 fox advised the others to cut off their tails, because he had left his own in the trap.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=O D=F E=N F=T G=B H=G I=W J=U K=D L=P M=X N=A O=H P=V Q=S R=C S=I T=Q U=K V=Z W=L X=J Y=M Z=E
- “It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of a man is tested.”— James Russell Lowell, 1871, My Study Windows, Abraham Lincoln, 1864 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=P C=W D=A E=H F=Q G=N H=V I=T J=S K=I L=K M=B N=X O=Y P=Z Q=F R=E S=C T=R U=M V=U W=G X=J Y=L Z=O
- “Her modest looks the cottage might adorn, Sweet as the primrose peeps beneath the thorn.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1770, The Deserted Village, Line 329 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=I C=X D=N E=Z F=P G=A H=W I=V J=Y K=T L=E M=G N=S O=U P=H Q=L R=C S=O T=F U=K V=B W=M X=Q Y=R Z=J
- “Persuasive speech, and more persuasive sighs, Silence that spoke, and eloquence of eyes.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book XIV. Line 251 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=Y D=I E=P F=M G=J H=Z I=D J=N K=G L=V M=U N=K O=T P=R Q=W R=B S=X T=F U=H V=L W=A X=E Y=S Z=Q
- “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=V C=G D=A E=S F=N G=P H=R I=M J=Z K=T L=O M=L N=U O=W P=E Q=X R=B S=D T=I U=Y V=C W=F X=K Y=J Z=H
- “There is a difference between eating and drinking for strength and from mere gluttony.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=N B=Q C=S D=T E=V F=M G=F H=Y I=R J=L K=X L=P M=K N=U O=E P=D Q=Z R=C S=H T=B U=G V=W W=J X=I Y=A Z=O