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February 23, 2012 6:59 am  #1


So can you break it?

BW XJ FW ZK DI RA XS KG EH


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February 28, 2012 10:57 pm  #2


Re: So can you break it?

Come on guys get those funny little brains of your working! Do you want a clue?


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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February 29, 2012 1:39 am  #3


Re: So can you break it?

Yes please. I did have a look at it but it's hard to know where to begin. Did you make up the code yourself or is it a well known one?


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February 29, 2012 5:49 pm  #4


Re: So can you break it?

The type of cipher is a classic one. I didn't make up the cipher used. With a bit of research you can work it out. If you look on The Science of Deduction website (BBC run) there are some other examples of messages received by Sherlock which will give you a sense of what they are about.


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March 2, 2012 12:41 am  #5


Re: So can you break it?

OK, I'll have a look at that and see if I can do it!


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March 3, 2012 7:48 pm  #6


Re: So can you break it?

All right, I've had a look at your cipher and this is what I think so far...

Judging by the type of letters you've used and the appearance of more unusual letters like X, Z and W, I'd rule out the possibility that it's just an ordinary sentence jumbled up, which means that the original letters must have been replaced with different letters, which according to Sherlock's website is a Ceasar cipher...I read more about it on Wikipedia and then went through every single letter in the alphabet and matched them up against the first 5 letters in your cipher. Unfortunately, that still didn't work! This is what I got:

1    C X Y K G X
2    D Y Z L H Y
3    E Z A M I Z
4    F A B N J A
5    G B C O K B
6    H C D P L C
7    I D E Q M D
8    J E F R N E
9    K F G S O F
10    L G H T P G
11    M H I U Q H
12    N I J V R I
13    O J K W S J
14    P K L X T K
15    Q L M Y U L
16     R M N Z V M
17    S N O A W N
18    T O P B X O
19    U P Q C Y P
20    V Q R D Z Q
21    W R S E A R
22    X S T F B S
23    Y T U G C T
24    Z U V H D U
25    A V W I E V
26    B W X J F W

As you can see, none of them seem to look like words of any kind! So...is there any chance you could give me another clue? Am I on the right lines?? 


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March 3, 2012 9:52 pm  #7


Re: So can you break it?

You are along the right lines. Have you tried Wikipedia? Keep going and you will get it. I haven't used a cipher that is already on The Science of Deduction website but the ones on there are a good introduction. It is a cipher and not a code. Hope that helps a bit.


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 3, 2012 10:30 pm  #8


Re: So can you break it?

Thanks - I'd better get to work!

BTW, this is fun!


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March 3, 2012 10:46 pm  #9


Re: So can you break it?

When you've solved it I'll set a new one. Mwahaha!


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March 4, 2012 9:43 pm  #10


Re: So can you break it?

OK so some of those letters have got to be vowels and seeing as the letters W, X and K all appear twice I'm pretty certain they're the vowels in your sentence. And seeing as W and X appear next to each other that means we're looking for two vowels together which narrows it down slightly although there are of course still hundreds of possible words that it could be. I'm also pretty sure that it's only broken into groups of two to be more confusing and so it's harder to work out the length of each word.

You've already said you got the idea off Sherlock's website but that it's not the same cipher as any of the ones used on the website, although you did mention I'd find clues on Wikipedia which means the cipher I'm looking for is on there somewhere. If you were on Sherlock's website then you probably noticed, as I did, that there was a link to the Wikipedia page about Ceasar ciphers and although we've already established that it's not a Ceasar cipher, looking at that page more than likely led you to look at and read about other similar ciphers. You also referred to it as a classic cipher which would indicate it has a name. There are several named ciphers listed on Wikipedia and linked from the Ceasar cipher page.

One of the one's I've looked into is called the Vigenere cipher which is a little more complexed and also uses a code word or key. I entertained the possibility that you could have used one of these and have so far tried out several possible code words including Sherlock, Moriarty and the one they've used as their example which is Lemon. I also noticed that the phrase "I Believe In Sherlock" has the same number of letters as your sentence (18), although obviously too many vowels and it didn't work out as your code phrase either, neither did the ones I've mentioned above. I can think of a few more possible code words that you might have used and will probably try them out.

The game continues...


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March 4, 2012 10:16 pm  #11


Re: So can you break it?

To which I retort: the game is -still- afoot!


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 4, 2012 10:18 pm  #12


Re: So can you break it?

Doesn't it make you admire those cipher makers and breakers though?


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 4, 2012 11:34 pm  #13


Re: So can you break it?

I don't suppose you used an A-Z did you? 


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March 5, 2012 7:44 am  #14


Re: So can you break it?

No! Good idea though!


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 5, 2012 6:39 pm  #15


Re: So can you break it?

Do you want another clue?


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 5, 2012 7:08 pm  #16


Re: So can you break it?

I was hoping I wouldn't need one, but I've filled about 10 pages of A4 trying to work it out...! So go on then...


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March 5, 2012 10:06 pm  #17


Re: So can you break it?

Sorry to keep you waiting, been watching The Blind Banker which is appropriate. Hmm a further clue... 'the sign of...a shape.' Referring to the ACD canon will help. that and the advice I have given you before. You'll be a cipher expert by the end of this!


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 5, 2012 11:10 pm  #18


Re: So can you break it?

Thanks for the clue...it's kind of not helped yet but is probably pointing me in the right direction. I've just started reading the Canon again although I've only got through 6 stories so far, only another 50 to go and 4 novels, lol, hope I don't have to read them all before I can crack your cipher...

I know that Sherlock solves a cipher in The Dancing Men but that involves pictures of little dancing men and yours obviously doesn't. Will keep thinking...


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March 6, 2012 1:56 pm  #19


Re: So can you break it?

The ACD canon won't help with this particular cipher. Point you back in the direction of Wikipedia. A further clue
16


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
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March 6, 2012 1:59 pm  #20


Re: So can you break it?

OK thanks....it's a good job nobody's strapped to a bomb whilst I'm trying to work this out.


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