Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = T
BEGSGMJDYWGBBGSRQBLEBEQDYDGYCCBEGJQUGLFYBE.
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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- X
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- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 39
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: E = O
RTOMXFYEMNEEQIEVMTKFROVDXFYEMNEEQIEVMTKLKK.
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: R = E
ZHILSJHXHJCRPRPHBWWZUADURPDEDJCRPIRB'UUJSEE.
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: C = E
LECIZCFLCJLXVHDBCZVZMJECPEVXVHDBCZJEMSJCKQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = E
XKFPBGXBIFZHBVFPXKFKOZJ;OUJXKFNFOLXKFPXZBUA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: G = E
YZGGUWCFVPTHU'PIHBGQNFLPJGHUHUOZCPGEGPLGJJP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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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)
- “There is no better patch than one off the same cloth.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=T C=F D=N E=H F=L G=E H=U I=D J=S K=J L=C M=I N=X O=Q P=V Q=A R=P S=R T=K U=M V=W W=B X=G Y=O Z=Y
- “What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VI. 54 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=Y C=X D=M E=O F=S G=V H=U I=F J=Q K=E L=B M=T N=G O=A P=K Q=D R=W S=C T=H U=J V=R W=Z X=I Y=N Z=P
- “I am but a gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff.”— Sir Henry Wotton, 1624, The Elements of Architecture, Preface to the Elements of Architecture (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=N C=H D=O E=F F=K G=Y H=A I=M J=T K=W L=B M=J N=L O=C P=R Q=V R=E S=U T=Q U=S V=X W=D X=G Y=Z Z=I
- “The greatest conqueror is he who conquers himself.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=U C=E D=Q E=H F=A G=P H=N I=G J=S K=L L=T M=I N=X O=D P=W Q=F R=B S=M T=J U=K V=O W=Y X=C Y=Z Z=R
- “The soft overcomes the hard; and the weak the strong.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=O C=U D=P E=I F=E G=F H=C I=V J=D K=H L=K M=J N=W O=A P=S Q=L R=Q S=Y T=Z U=N V=M W=B X=T Y=X Z=R
- “The envious man's face grows lean and his eye swells.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=C C=I D=Q E=Y F=O G=E H=A I=F J=L K=J L=W M=X N=R O=D P=S Q=G R=P S=Z T=M U=N V=U W=V X=B Y=T Z=H