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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

I like how you give subtle hints by using the replacement letters as the most obvious—but erroneous—answer to prevent us from going astray.


5 posted on 10/16/2022 4:24:38 AM PDT by A_perfect_lady (The greatest wealth is to live content with little. -Plato)
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To: A_perfect_lady

Completely unintentional. The computer picks the substitutes. I should check for profanity, or offensive words, I suppose. I remember once the newspaper cryptogram began ABCD EFG HIJ. The letter substitution is arbitrary. A popular form of cryptogram is a “book cypher” where each letter of plaintext is substituted for based on a corresponding letter in a book. For instance if the message was:

ATTACK AT DAWN.

and the book began:

CALL ME ISHMAEL.

A + C = D (1 + 3 = 4)
T + A = U (16 + 1 =17)
....

etc. If the sum is greater than 26, subtract 26.

In the book, “The Good Soldier Schweik”, an Austro-Hungarian General is demonstrating this cypher to his officers and boasts about its impenetrability (it is not) while a young cadet from the academy, sent to the front because of the shortage of officers, casually decrypts the General’s impenetrable message.


6 posted on 10/16/2022 4:55:37 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
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