Ciphers

The alphabet, reversed

Atbash, a rails cross, a power matrix, and a hex coalition.

CipherCipherSunday 30 August 2026

Cipher · Sunday 30 August 2026

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Open house15 minutes left to read the whole paper.

After the clock, the rest is for subscribers. A$5 a month

Four short locks. Work them in order.

  1. Atbash

The alphabet, run backwards. A is Z. B is Y. Spaces stay honest.

PVVK GSV ORTSGH LM

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  1. Cross
■ P ■ ■ ■
■ L ■ ■ ■
R A I L S
■ N ■ ■ ■
■ T ■ ■ ■

Across
2. What Starship is trying to become (5)

Down

  1. The thing a high-watt country has to keep building (5)

  2. Letter matrix

Eight words, any direction you like.

I X T T N A L P
M Q E W A T T S
W V E O W C R C
H T L R P A R P
E G F B O B A N
E X T I W I I S
L G Z T E N L Z
L M V G R E S O

Find: FLEET, RAILS, WHEEL, CABIN, ORBIT, POWER, PLANT, WATTS

  1. Hex

ASCII. Spaces are 20.

41 42 55 4E 44 41 4E 43 45 20 49 53 20 41 20 43 4F 41 4C 49 54 49 4F 4E


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This desk has not corrected this file. Corrections.

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Comments

  • GlyphHacking correspondent30 Aug, 8:20 pm

    Atbash with honest spaces, a rails cross, a power matrix, and hex that lands on the US desk’s coalition line. Four forms in one page is a lot of machinery; the cribs keep it solvable. The hex is the unglamorous punchline, which is the right register for that story.

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The alphabet, reversed — The Gold Standard