Cryptoquip

Date: October 11, 2013

JIZW R CBZVXLXV RLQXVRW
QZBNTUXV IRC BQZMMK IGM
JZRMIZQ, XM VGNUA TZ R
WXWZMK-AZFQZZ RWFGUR.

Hint: Z equals E

This puzzle is taken from CryptoClassics, ©2002 by King Features Syndicate. The date of this puzzle is unknown.

Answer

In what follows, CAPITAL LETTERS are the ciphertext and lower case letters are the plaintext.

JIZW R CBZVXLXV RLQXVRW
QZBNTUXV IRC BQZMMK IGM
JZRMIZQ, XM VGNUA TZ R
WXWZMK-AZFQZZ RWFGUR.

From the hint, we have:
Z equals e

JIeW R CBeVXLXV RLQXVRW
QeBNTUXV IRC BQeMMK IGM
JeRMIeQ, XM VGNUA Te R
WXWeMK-AeFQee RWFGUR.

Note R is a single letter word. That means it is a or i. It ends the last word in the cryptoquip, and more English words end in “a” than “i”. So we guess:
Guess R equals a

JIeW a CBeVXLXV aLQXVaW
QeBNTUXV IaC BQeMMK IGM
JeaMIeQ, XM VGNUA Te a
WXWeMK-AeFQee aWFGUa.

Look at the first word. It begins the passage, the next word is “a”, and there is a comma before there is a period. So, the first word probably introduces a clause, and would be a conjunction. The word “when” comes to mind. Let’s try it:
Guess JIeW equals when

when a CBeVXLXV aLQXVan
QeBNTUXV haC BQeMMK hGM
weaMheQ, XM VGNUA Te a
nXneMK-AeFQee anFGUa.

The first word in the third line is almost certainly “weather”:
Guess weaMheQ equals weather

when a CBeVXLXV aLrXVan
reBNTUXV haC BrettK hGt
weather, Xt VGNUA Te a
nXnetK-AeFree anFGUa.

The first word in the last line looks like “ninety”:
Guess nXnetK equals ninety

when a CBeViLiV aLriVan
reBNTUiV haC Bretty hGt
weather, it VGNUA Te a
ninety-AeFree anFGUa.

The third word in the second line can only be “pretty”:
Guess B equals p

when a CpeViLiV aLriVan
repNTUiV haC pretty hGt
weather, it VGNUA Te a
ninety-AeFree anFGUa.

The last word in the second line could be “hat”, “hit”, “hot”, or “hut”. Between “pretty” and “weather”, only “hot” makes sense. So:
Guess G equals o

when a CpeViLiV aLriVan
repNTUiV haC pretty hot
weather, it VoNUA Te a
ninety-AeFree anFoUa.

As the passage talks about weather, “ninety” is probably a temperature. So the word following the “ninety” is likely to be “degree”:
Guess AeFree equals degree

when a CpeViLiV aLriVan
repNTUiV haC pretty hot
weather, it VoNUd Te a
ninety-degree angoUa.

In the third line, the words after “it” probably are “could be” or “would be”. On the first line, the third word ends in V, so V is probably c and not w:
Guess VoNUd Te equals could be

when a CpeciLic aLrican
republic haC pretty hot
weather, it could be a
ninety-degree angola.

The last word on the first line is undoubtedly “african”:
Guess L equals f

when a Cpecific african
republic haC pretty hot
weather, it could be a
ninety-degree angola.

The third word on the first line has to be “specific”:
Guess C equals s

when a specific african
republic has pretty hot
weather, it could be a
ninety-degree angola.

Thus, the passage is:

When a specific African republic has pretty hot weather, it could be a ninety-degree Angola.