A secret decoder ring (or secret decoder) is a device which allows one to decode a simple substitution cipher - or to encrypt a message by working in the opposite direction.
As inexpensive toys, they have been often used as promotional items by retailers, radio and television programs from the 1930s through to the current day. Decoders, whether badges or rings, are a fun way for children to tap into a common fascination with encryption, ciphers, and secret codes, and are used to send hidden messages back and forth to one another.
Read more about Secret Decoder Ring: History, Messages, Current Producer
Famous quotes containing the words secret and/or ring:
“The applause we give those who are new to society often proceeds from a secret envying of those already established.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“The boxer’s ring is the enjoyment of the part of society whose animal nature alone has been developed.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)