As you know, it is my pleasure to set you a Christmas quiz which you can do as you digest the turkey in front of the fire (or sunbathing in the sun like Ann). I don't think this will prove as tough as the previous two years, but then, that's just my point of view!

I'll invite you to have a go, and the longest list I get on January 4th could get a bonus point for someone towards the Challenge total!

The following were originally a set of quotations from various well-known authors and people good with words: you will have heard of all of them, and you will certainly know some, but probably not all, of the quotations.

I have changed all the letters in simple unique code form (i.e. a unique correspondence between a letter and its cipher), except for the letters I and O, which are always as in the original quotation, as is all the punctuation. The codes are different for each quotation, and the remaining letters of the code are randomly distributed. Not all letters of the alphabet are used in the quotations.

To get you started, see if you have any ideas for the author: at least one of them should jump out at you. Look for words of one letter, which are not I. Then try for the most common letter – not infallible, but it will give you a clue. Then, what about repeated letters at the end of a word? – not many letters qualify there either. Punctuation can help suggest some letters, too. And when you’ve got a few letters in, your knowledge of vocabulary will help, and then knowing that the words have to make sense – well, you’re home and dry! The author is also given in the same coded form as the quotation (you should have heard of all of them, and I’ve quoted them in the way that they are usually known, omitting anything like Lord, Sir or Dame if they have acquired that status) and you can get a good start.

Can you work out the quotations? (I think (and hope) they are all free from errors.).

1. DAFAC ID PBA UIAKN OU BYQMD EODUKIEP GMH HO QYEB OGAN SX PO QMDX PO HO UAG. (GIDHPOD EBYCEBIKK)
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. (Winston Churchill)

2. IRK’G IG MHKKQ BOX L PCLN AIYCR BOKCQ? PHEE! PHEE! PHEE! I XOKVCN XBQ BC VOCR? (L. L. WIAKC)
Isn't it funny how a bear likes honey? Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! I wonder why he does? (A. A. Milne)

3. YBNFF I EOAXNHW UBWW UO N YJAAWH’Y SNK? UBOJ NHU AOHW FOCWFK NRS AOHW UWAXWHNUW. (GIFFINA YBNQWYXWNHW)
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. (William Shakespeare)

4. PXNJN EJN PYO PJEFNSINV IU ZITN. OUN IV PO ZOVN LOKJ XNEJP’V SNVIJN. PXN OPXNJ IV PO FEIU IP. (FNOJFN HNJUEJS VXEY)
There are two tragedies in life: One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it. (George Bernard Shaw)

5. IH NOM FGC BLLS NOMZ VLGU QVLC GXX GWOMP NOM GZL XODICK PVLIZD GCU WXGRICK IP OC NOM. (ZMUNGZU BISXICK)
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. (Rudyard Kipling)

6. PHFKCP HDR XDVSXD XZOXQ FH HRK HO HDSRR? FKC IP HDRSR DOKRJ PHIZZ YOS HRF? (SVURSH MSOOQR)
Stands the church clock at ten to three? – and is there honey still for tea? (Rupert Brooke)

7. SLWO NUNVDOLN WXKW XKWX FXKMM YN QIUNL KLR XN FXKMM XKUN KYSLRKLHN: YSW JVOC XIC WXKW XKWX LOW FXKMM YN WKBNL KXKD NUNL WXKW EXIHX XN XKWX. (FW. CKWWXNE)
Unto everyone that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (St Matthew)

8. ZSICFICA TZ OCVU ZO AUZ TRR ZSU AORE ZSU AOODU VOYRE AIKU, SU FIRRUE IZ TCE OWUCUE IZ OCRP ZO NICE - COZSICA. (TUDOW)
Thinking at once to get all the gold that the goose could give, he killed it, and opened it only to find - nothing. (Aesop)

9. IG PQQ BUX ROJDM QPNIXK EUO PBBXDNXN BUX RPQX TLOCXDPNX NPDWX EXLX QPIN XDN BO XDN, DO-ODX EOJQN YX ID BUX QXPKB KJLTLIKXN. (NOLOBUR TPLFXL)
If all the young ladies who attended the Yale promenade dance were laid end to end, no-one would be in the least surprised. (Dorothy Parker)

10. ZCD FIAD IW ZCD ZOZHE OV ZCOAD DQLEONDK IA ROGDFWDK XN LHFJIWAOW’A EHB HWK BOMEK XD QMTC ZCD AHQD BCDZCDF ZCD GOEMQD OV BOFJ BDFD ZO IWTFDHAD, KIQIWIAC OF DGDW KIAHLLDHF. (T. WOFZCTOZD LHFJIWAOW)

11. PCTST’J UO LOENP PCDP YTTHTJ’J ZIWB-FT-EZ RIKK ZSOLEWT IFFTLIDPT STJEKPJ IU DUQPCIUX JCOSP OM DU TXQZPIDU FEFFQ. (Z. X. ROLTCOEJT)

12. MOC GDZ’P EADTZ PO HOOZ PQDP PQA KOHP CHAWCE PQIZF DVOCP XTIZGIXEA IH PQDP IP GDZ DEUDMH VA HDGTIWIGAR PO AJXARIAZGM. (U. HOKATHAP KDCFQDK)

13. AO ZGQIV HA AJG ZGQIVVIVQ . . . (RUYHV AJOBHK)

14. JOR AFYFK LUE LRHC U HOWWODIOA, RQ UAV VOEA U CORLF, UL ECFA WJ RAHMF QOVPFK RAVFKDOON DO VO U BOG. (BFKOWF N. BFKOWF)

15. PSIAH ID POAAOC. YOFIP ID SNSH. RXHSHQOSH IR ID VTOC RXH YOFIP SNRXHS RXNC VTOC RXH PSIAH RXNR UOV DXOVYG GLHYY. (NSRXVS POCNC GOUYH)

16. KOHBZBDN, USJ OWZ QYINOK SBN EJJK UAYKJZ IKUO B MIYNU-FWBNN SOUJW HIUS B NJYPIFJ USBU BKD VIFSJWIK XAIZJ HOAWZ EJ OKWD UOO QWJBNJZ UO FOKZJVK. (NQILJ VIWWIXBK)

17. XN GSWN CO KNBISRBN JYSKSCZNN ZGSZ ZGN SLZNKBILN XIBB RN SCU BNMM NVSMFNKSZICJ ZGSC ZGIM OCN, GSWN XN? (CONB QOXSKP)

18. I GIHU QOR E DVXXQ NUXIHJDEH ECW E UEKKQ CVG QVEX. (OPEM NUVWLOQ)