5 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)
“Remember too on every occasion which leads thee to vexation to apply this principle; not that this is a misfortune, but that to bear it nobly is good fortune.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=H B=P C=G D=Z E=T F=B G=S H=W I=O J=K K=F L=M M=J N=D O=E P=N Q=I R=L S=U T=R U=A V=X W=Y X=C Y=V Z=Q
“The power of doing anything with quickness is always much prized by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.”— Jane Austen, 1813, Pride and PrejudiceCipher key: A=J B=R C=I D=Q E=O F=W G=D H=F I=M J=U K=Z L=S M=K N=Y O=C P=H Q=L R=B S=V T=X U=G V=A W=N X=T Y=E Z=P
“They would talk of nothing but high life, and high-lived company, with other fashionable topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1765, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), Chap. IX (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=P C=Q D=I E=T F=C G=B H=Y I=O J=N K=A L=K M=V N=D O=J P=M Q=X R=L S=E T=F U=S V=G W=R X=U Y=H Z=W
“If the people maintain that confidence which they are entitled to have in themselves, in each other, and in America, a comfortable prosperity will continue.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1927, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=T B=U C=D D=P E=S F=A G=F H=X I=L J=V K=E L=O M=Y N=W O=R P=J Q=B R=G S=N T=H U=M V=K W=I X=Z Y=Q Z=C
“No one is now left to doubt that every burden will be cheerfully borne that may be necessary to sustain our civil institutions or guard our honor or welfare.”— Martin Van Buren, 1837, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=B B=G C=V D=Z E=A F=I G=P H=J I=X J=Q K=E L=O M=D N=F O=W P=U Q=M R=H S=R T=K U=Y V=L W=N X=C Y=S Z=T