Cryptogram Puzzle Popularity
Why is a cryptogram puzzle so much fun to solve? True word puzzlers will tell you there are three main reasons.
1) First, there is the satisfaction gained from a job well done.
Translating a set letters like this: XMUKXM OJQELAXBUA BEMUPUKM KUUQMCMDB KUAJDP KMJXJA into a list of names like this: George Washington Theodore Roosevelt Ronald Reagan using only logic, word skills (and a little luck) is indeed rewarding.
After a hectic day at work and an even busier day at home, it's great to sit down to relax in the evening.
With nothing more than a printable cryptogram puzzle and a pencil, you can actually complete a "task" that is really FUN! While it's true that you can find online cryptogram puzzle solvers, many wordsmiths enjoy the challenge of doing it the old-fashioned way, by hand.
It does make you work a bit harder, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you solve the cryptogram.
2) Secondly, there is the joy of uncovering a word treasure.
Puzzle writers often hide very clever and/or amusing quips and quotes inside their cryptogram puzzles.
Discovering these pearls of wisdom through the puzzle-solving experience can be extremely entertaining! As a word-game writer, I love scouring websites and old books of quotations for great quips and quotes to use when writing cryptograms.
Gems like these are great to encode in a cryptogram puzzle: I have no Politics.
I am for the Party that is out of Power, no matter which one it is.
Will Rogers When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian proverb Anybody who watches three games of football in a row should be declared brain dead.
Erma Bombeck Solving another type of cryptogram puzzle, called a cryptofamily or cryptolist, is also very pleasurable.
In these puzzles, a list of related items is encrypted.
Lists may be made of very familiar items such as fruits, vegetables, or U.
S.
Presidents (as in the brief list above).
Or the lists may feature slightly more obscure topics such as Kentucky Derby winners or Ten-letter words that begin with EX.
When solving this type of word game, puzzlers think about the words they already know in the category and try to find them.
In a really good cryptolist, puzzlers will find some familiar words, and they will also uncover some surprises.
For example, a FRUIT cryptofamily might contain apple, orange and banana.
And the list might also include lychee, kumquat and persimmon.
3) Thirdly, solving word puzzles such as cryptograms can be a fun part of a healthy lifestyle.
Such activity stimulates brain function and keeps you away from more mentally-passive activities such as watching television.
As more and more of us age and become increasingly concerned about cognitive health, this third reason for solving cryptogram puzzles becomes more important.
I predict that cryptogram puzzle popularity will continue to grow as more and more people discover the FUN in solving word puzzles, as they find enjoyment in decoding humorous quips and quotes, and as they realize the brain-benefits of solving word puzzles.
1) First, there is the satisfaction gained from a job well done.
Translating a set letters like this: XMUKXM OJQELAXBUA BEMUPUKM KUUQMCMDB KUAJDP KMJXJA into a list of names like this: George Washington Theodore Roosevelt Ronald Reagan using only logic, word skills (and a little luck) is indeed rewarding.
After a hectic day at work and an even busier day at home, it's great to sit down to relax in the evening.
With nothing more than a printable cryptogram puzzle and a pencil, you can actually complete a "task" that is really FUN! While it's true that you can find online cryptogram puzzle solvers, many wordsmiths enjoy the challenge of doing it the old-fashioned way, by hand.
It does make you work a bit harder, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you solve the cryptogram.
2) Secondly, there is the joy of uncovering a word treasure.
Puzzle writers often hide very clever and/or amusing quips and quotes inside their cryptogram puzzles.
Discovering these pearls of wisdom through the puzzle-solving experience can be extremely entertaining! As a word-game writer, I love scouring websites and old books of quotations for great quips and quotes to use when writing cryptograms.
Gems like these are great to encode in a cryptogram puzzle: I have no Politics.
I am for the Party that is out of Power, no matter which one it is.
Will Rogers When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian proverb Anybody who watches three games of football in a row should be declared brain dead.
Erma Bombeck Solving another type of cryptogram puzzle, called a cryptofamily or cryptolist, is also very pleasurable.
In these puzzles, a list of related items is encrypted.
Lists may be made of very familiar items such as fruits, vegetables, or U.
S.
Presidents (as in the brief list above).
Or the lists may feature slightly more obscure topics such as Kentucky Derby winners or Ten-letter words that begin with EX.
When solving this type of word game, puzzlers think about the words they already know in the category and try to find them.
In a really good cryptolist, puzzlers will find some familiar words, and they will also uncover some surprises.
For example, a FRUIT cryptofamily might contain apple, orange and banana.
And the list might also include lychee, kumquat and persimmon.
3) Thirdly, solving word puzzles such as cryptograms can be a fun part of a healthy lifestyle.
Such activity stimulates brain function and keeps you away from more mentally-passive activities such as watching television.
As more and more of us age and become increasingly concerned about cognitive health, this third reason for solving cryptogram puzzles becomes more important.
I predict that cryptogram puzzle popularity will continue to grow as more and more people discover the FUN in solving word puzzles, as they find enjoyment in decoding humorous quips and quotes, and as they realize the brain-benefits of solving word puzzles.
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