The solution to the cryptogram “mensen een reclameblok is schitterend” is “LUISTER” (listen).
Here’s how we can solve the cryptogram:
Frequency Analysis: Look for the most frequent letters in the cryptogram. In this case, “e” is the most frequent letter. In Dutch, the most frequent letter is usually “e”.
Common Words: Consider common Dutch words that start with “e”. A common two-letter word is “en” (and).
Pattern Matching: Look for patterns of repeated letters. Here, “d” is repeated twice. A common two-letter word ending in “d” is “de” (the).
Substitution: Try substituting “en” for the first two “e”s and “de” for the second “d” and “e”. This gives us “den droom is bedrog”.
Continue the Process: Now focus on the remaining letters. “d” appears three times, so it might represent a vowel like “a” which is another common letter. Substitute “a” for remaining “d”s. This gives us “de waarheid is bedrog”.
Solve the remaining letters: “b” might represent a “u” since “bedrog” doesn’t make sense. Substituting “u” gives us “de waarheid is goud” which translates to “the truth is gold”.
Word Length and Pattern: The last word in the cryptogram has 7 letters. A common 7-letter Dutch word is “luisteren” (to listen).
Meaning: The phrase “mensen een reclameblok is schitterend” (people, a commercial break is brilliant) doesn’t make much sense. However, if we substitute “luisteren” (listen) for “schitterend” (brilliant), we get “mensen een reclameblok is **luisteren” (people, a commercial break is **listen to)”. This makes more sense, as it suggests that people should pay attention to commercials.
Therefore, the solution to the cryptogram is “LUISTER” (listen).