[Lonesome in Massachussets]

You can find this fun quotation puzzle, to combat early dementia and senility in us baby boomers, in several daily publications. I challenge us with the best ones out there.

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, you’ll be solving them all within a few days. If you’re stumped, take a break and return to it.

PLEASE DO NOT post the answer in general comments, but DO post your time and how you made out.

You can certainly send your solution to my private reply, or if you need a hint for today’s Cryptogram ASK THE GROUP FOR HELP!

I suggest printing these out and work them on paper. If you need a little help you can copy and paste it to Hal’s Helper below.

You can then work on the puzzle without using pen and paper, but I recommend that you do NOT look at the letter counter.

HAL'S CRYPTOGRAM HELPER

One last request. Feel free to post a fun or clever clue, the more tangential to the quotation the better, but please don’t put the actual words of the quote in the clue.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

A familiar author, a little long, but especially topical.

If you need a clue ask the group to send you a letter to your private reply.

4 minutes good
3 minutes excellent
2 minutes exceptional
90 seconds superior

[Roccus]

As a nation, we cannot say we were not warned.

Sadly, we took no heed.

[Political Junkie Too]

Nearly as fast as I could type. I started with the most common letter and found the most common word. That got me the first word, and then the rest of the puzzle opened up.

-PJ

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

Wow, so timely. Started with most used letter, nailed the first name of the author, then the most likely last name and viola! it all fell into place in about 3 minutes. Thanks for adding me to the ping list!