What Got You Started With Cryptograms

[universalmom]

A Kind Stranger

I had been intrigued by cryptograms for a long time, but I didn't know how to solve them. Then, on a particularly long flight, I found myself sitting next to an older gentleman who had a large book of cryptograms. I thought I was being subtle as I watched him solve them, but I guess I wasn't, because he asked if I solved cryptograms too. When I confessed I had no idea how they were done, he spent the rest of the flight teaching me the basics. By the time we landed I had solved quite a few. I hope that kind gentleman has somehow found this site, and gets as much pleasure out of it as I do!

[imported_Tilottama2003]

hello from the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

( sorry to break your bubble its 2016 )

i started as a lover of anything pertaining to spys, and i find this a vaild skill for spys,
( i am not yet )

[ddph]

Looks like this thread has been inactive for a while until our Newby chipped in. So I might as well share my story.

I discovered cryptograms back in the 60s when my grandmother and I sat at the kitchen table doing the crossword puzzle. The newspaper always ran a daily cryptogram as well, so I started doing them. Forgot about them for 40 years until my wife started buying puzzle books. She had no problem with the Sudoku, but was totally lost on the cryptos so she would pull them out of the book and hand them to me to solve.

To make a long story short, I got hooked again. Several years ago I was at the library on the computer and did a Google search for cryptograms. This was the first site listed. I clicked on it and played for a couple of months with hints. When I started getting a little more proficient I signed up for an account. And presto, years later I'm still here.

[Annamariah]

I actually came here through the logic puzzle site. I've always liked logic puzzles, so one day searched the internet for them and ended up in the Puzzle Baron site. A while later I checked out what else the Baron had to offer and found cryptograms. I had never tried those before, so it took me a while to get started, but I soon got hooked, created a profile and here I am...

[Unattributed]

A teacher introduced cryptos to me in grade school (4th grade I think). I've solved them intermittently since then, usually when I had to amuse myself on a plane. Last year I discovered this site, and installed a cryptogram game on my phone. Now I do several cryptos each day. I may have a problem...

[maradnu]

Long ago

I was fascinated with cryptograms beginning around 6th grade, but for whatever reason, could not solve them. There was something that just didn't click. I did crosswords for years, starting in my teens.

When I was in my 20s (circa 40 years ago), one night I was partaking of a certain illegal substance, and while looking at the cryptoquote in the newspaper, all of a sudden it made sense. I worked that one and several more that night (having several days papers sitting around).

Since then I've been able to work cryptograms, even though I gave up on the illegal substances over 30 years ago.

[wvwoman]

oh, maradnu...

your story really made me laugh! (out loud, even!)

[imported_Tilottama2003]

my dear acquaintance marandu,

That sounds exactly like the story of a savant!

[bwbaer]

The logic of cryptograms is seductive, leading from garble to a coherent (usually) message. And I always imagine that I am a intelligence agent decoding secret messages from spys.

[universalmom]

bwbaer, that's a delightful summary of the allure of cryptograms