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 1
Medium · 45 letters
Starter clue: S = E
MCSXUMSRRSAMXWUVMJWSTXVZWMCXUP,JUKUSYSTCJWISSU.
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
Puzzle 2
Expert · 45 letters
Starter clue: R = E
FMAARXEUTZOEYTDRGA,GYHDTHRXGAZTYZYKMXREYTVGMER.
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
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Puzzle 3
Hard · 45 letters
Starter clue: T = O
SNTSTDIMBTXNYAGHGGXRGXTBNERBGZC,IGXNEFBTXRXTTV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
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M
N
O
P
Q
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Puzzle 4
Medium · 45 letters
Starter clue: J = R
OAQKYNRFUQOJFOMUGUVYXGJPL,HGJOXQFEGJMOMQAYPPQJ.
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
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Puzzle 5
Hard · 45 letters
Starter clue: A = E
DQARZLTAN'REAKYADRDQANMDAROMZAMBTOMDOQARDQAHYS.
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
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Puzzle 6
Medium · 45 letters
Starter clue: T = E
WGVYITZHPPTMNHKGLYTIKIHITWKTCYBWCMHPPIBVUTCVZ.
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
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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)
“The intellect is not a serious thing, and never has been.”— Oscar Wilde, 1893, A Woman of No ImportanceCipher key: A=C B=P C=H D=W E=Z F=Y G=X H=K I=B J=A K=D L=J M=T N=Q O=F P=G Q=M R=L S=E T=R U=N V=O W=S X=I Y=V Z=U
“Butter spoils no meat, and moderation injures no cause.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=X C=W D=M E=S F=B G=A H=D I=V J=Y K=J L=H M=U N=Z O=L P=G Q=F R=E S=Q T=O U=P V=C W=K X=R Y=N Z=I
“Who would not have feet set on his neck, let him not stoop.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=N C=K D=U E=I F=M G=E H=F I=L J=G K=Q L=Y M=D N=H O=R P=Z Q=B R=S S=W T=O U=X V=P W=J X=T Y=A Z=C
“I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar.”— William Congreve, 1695, Love for Love, Act II. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=V C=K D=Q E=B F=S G=O H=F I=J J=R K=M L=D M=N N=U O=I P=L Q=A R=P S=Y T=Z U=T V=H W=X X=W Y=E Z=G
“The spider's web lets the rat escape and catches the fly.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=N C=Q D=T E=W F=K G=X H=F I=V J=G K=B L=I M=A N=R O=C P=O Q=H R=S S=Y T=D U=J V=Z W=M X=U Y=L Z=P
“A house filled with guests is eaten up and ill spoken of.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=P C=N D=R E=V F=Q G=H H=I I=S J=C K=T L=G M=D N=W O=J P=L Q=X R=M S=B T=E U=K V=O W=A X=Z Y=U Z=F