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.
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
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)
“The only good histories are those that have been written by the persons themselves who commanded in the affairs whereof they write.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. X. Of Books (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=D C=L D=P E=X F=J G=S H=G I=N J=F K=T L=K M=A N=V O=Y P=M Q=O R=B S=I T=R U=H V=Z W=U X=Q Y=E Z=W
“His heart and hand both open and both free; For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows; Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty.”— William Shakespeare, 1602, Troilus and Cressida, Act IV. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=S C=Q D=P E=L F=J G=B H=U I=K J=M K=Z L=I M=R N=D O=G P=Y Q=X R=H S=C T=W U=A V=E W=F X=V Y=N Z=T
“The people of America are turning as never before to those permanent values that are not limited to the physical objectives of life.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1935, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=R B=Z C=X D=N E=H F=I G=T H=Y I=Q J=G K=S L=F M=P N=J O=M P=D Q=A R=V S=B T=L U=K V=W W=C X=E Y=U Z=O
“King Stephen was a worthy peer, His breeches cost him but a crown; He held them sixpence all too dear, - With that he called the tailor lown.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=G C=V D=K E=P F=A G=H H=N I=E J=Z K=I L=U M=X N=J O=D P=O Q=B R=T S=L T=C U=Q V=F W=R X=Y Y=M Z=S
“The human being always looks down when he is examining another person's standard; he never find one that he has to examine by looking up.”— Mark Twain, 1906, What Is Man? and Other EssaysCipher key: A=T B=K C=P D=W E=M F=X G=I H=U I=A J=O K=S L=Y M=Q N=C O=N P=L Q=V R=Z S=J T=G U=H V=R W=F X=B Y=D Z=E
“One great object of the Constitution was to restrain majorities from oppressing minorities or encroaching upon their just rights.”— James K. Polk, 1845, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=E B=W C=D D=S E=G F=L G=J H=T I=R J=C K=P L=N M=Q N=M O=Z P=O Q=Y R=U S=H T=F U=V V=A W=B X=K Y=X Z=I