Posted on 03/09/2020 3:33:25 AM PDT by nikos1121
Today’s Cryptogram
T NOPK TOCHHC KBED HGTZ T TODHOC DP CP, FLD
VDAPORHA DBEO EZZ WJ EYDHADBPLRBDV TV WJ YLAJ,
YLAJ DBED FATORV LIPO WPADEZV DBH RAHEDHVD HGTZV.
- HLATITCHV
Yesterday’s Cryptogram
OFWWLRMKK LK ULVM F VLKK. CIT QTKS KOFPM LS SI MRYIC LS. —NMPRFPE QMUSXMP
The way it works is a letter stands for another letter. For example: AXYDLBAAXR is LONGFELLOW (does not apply to today's cryptogram).
Beware, the game is very addictive. If this is your first time, don't be intimidated.
PLEASE DO NOT post the answer in general comments, but DO post your time and any tips you might give the group on how you solve these puzzles as puzzle solvers love to hear how you made out.
You can certainly send your solution to my private reply, or if you need a hint for today’s Cryptogram. If you're just starting out on these, be patient, as you'll be proficient in no time.
If you need a little help you can copy the cryptogram and paste it to Hal’s Helper below:
You can then work on the puzzle without using pen and paper.
Free Republic was down most of yesterday, so the daily CG was late getting out.
Survey question:
HOW DO YOU USUALLY SOLVE “TODAY’S CRYPTOGRAM?”
1. Pencil and paper
2. Pen and paper
3. Hal’s Helper
4. In my head
About 2 and 1/2 min. Single letter word opens the door.
Yes, like a key, you’re unlocked to the rest of the puzzle. Then you hit our old friend ABCA and you put it in second gear, and the 4th word opens and now you’re in third gear, then you see that little ABB word and you put in fourth the fifth racing to finish line, but one letter is missing at the end......that threw me for a few seconds.
Nice quote to ponder.
Kinda like saying, “A person knows when they’re committing sin or thinking about it.”
I use Hal’s helper.
Today’s quote seems strangely prophetic.
Getting the first word correct and the three letter word with the double letter, did it for me.
HOW DO YOU USUALLY SOLVE “TODAY’S CRYPTOGRAM?”
Computers were made to help us with tedious bookkeeping tasks like that!
3. Hal’s Helper
helped me today to solve both CGs in about 3 mins.
Hal’s Helper
Hal’s all the way. I’d be hopeless otherwise.
Oh, that went fast. Literally one minute. I recognized that third word immediately.
5. Other on-line crypto solving tools.
I use Hal AND try to do one word at a time, though I do admit to ‘peeking’ ahead....
Todays was ‘hard(er)’ inasmuch as I did ‘guess’ correctly at the first word, the puzzle itself didn’t really make a whole lot of sense until it was completed....
Same word twice in a row can tend to throw one off...<: <: <:
Then again, through translation etc down the ages, the ‘olden times’ seemingly had people that couldn’t/wouldn’t say “Good Morning” in less than 15 words.....
3
now that’s a good clue
I paste it into an Excel worksheet that produces a histogram of letter frequencies, and duplicates the functionality of Hal's Helper (which also produces histograms, but annotates the frequency below the letters.)
I don't like Hal's format and appearance.
I have a couple of Octave(matlab-like freeware) scripts that I wrote. One that can produce histograms and formatted text, but I don't use it, and another based on an algorithms in Craig Bauer's book, Secret History: The Story of Cryptology that identifies likely vowels in monoalphabetic substitution ciphers, the kind used in cryptograms. It's more a curiosity than of any practical value. It is dead accurate on long ciphers, over about 500 characters, but almost useless on shorter ones. Besides if you need a computer to solve a 500 character cryptogram, you're doing it wrong.
2-3 min. 1st word, semi guess at 2nd word, 8th word.
HAL
Besides if you need a computer to solve a 500 character cryptogram, you’re doing it wrong.
= = = = = = = = =
Agree - to a point.
I use Hal for the convenience and yes, I do consider it ‘cheating’ for ME to use it.
I ‘originally’ would copy a message, take it back to the ‘secret room’ run it through and have it come out in plain language...a MIRACLE, just like the first ‘Xerox’ thingamajig was a ‘miracle’....
My first calculator was a Texas Instrument in the 100 buck range that could add & subtract.
Today they are ‘stocking stuffers’ and can do most anything..
We have come a long way
“IF
PROgress is moving ahead,
What does
CONGRESS mean?”
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