MEDIAART 3D03: Cryptograms
By a cryptogram, I just mean a simple "substitution code" in which messages are encoded/decoded by substituting an "encoded character" for the decoded character. I have fond memories of solving these on long car trips as a kid, as published in newsprint magazines sold precisely for the point of entertaining people...
Here's an example of such a code:
- (encoded) = (decoded)
- A = M
- B = W
- C = S
- D = L
- E = N
- F = G
- G = P
- H = K
- I = Q
- J = E
- K = J
- L = B
- M = I
- N = O
- O = U
- P = A
- Q = H
- R = F
- S = V
- T = Y
- U = X
- V = Z
- W = D
- X = R
- Y = C
- Z = T
Use the code above to decode the message that follows!
ZQMC CJAJCZJX MC FNMEF ZN LJ PBJCNAJ
The magazine puzzles I solved as a kid were harder than this because they wouldn't give you the code, just the encoded message - you had to figure out what the code was by trying things out, noticing patterns to do with the frequency of letters and so on. While simple, these cryptograms are a good base for thinking about many other codes.