Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"cuisine is a little limited" [NAVA]   We find a smattering of food references throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. But which can be considered consummate British dishes?   We don't come across toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, or cock-a-leekie soup, but there are other meals that are considered British. And by more than the virtue of appearing in British stories. Which food might this be? I...

"befogged in mind" [SIGN]   Weather conditions not only play a part in the settings of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but in some cases, they determine the plots as well. Fog, London and Baker Street seem to go hand in hand in 1890s London, but London's fogs are more than weather conditions. How did fog color Sherlock Holmes's view of the criminal world, and which stories saw an impact from this mis...

"I am a born sportsman" [LAST]   In a lifetime crammed with high adventure, his brilliant achievements in crime detection obscured his remarkable skills as an athlete. He was an expert with singlestick and foil, a fine boxer, equally accomplished with rifle and small arms and had a knowing eye for horseflesh. In this final installment in our 2019 series on games and sports, we turn to William S. B...

"his whole Bohemian soul" [SCAN]   The last in our series of episodes on international interactions with Sherlock Holmes brings us to the now-defunct kingdom of Bohemia. It was so important that it got its own scandal. What do we know about this land from which the masked king came? And of the adjective "Bohemian"? How did Bohemians come to signify the unconventional? It's just a trifle.   Have yo...

"I was alone." [BLAN]   Sherlock Holmes was occasionally without his Boswell. Watson was married at least twice – some scholars even claim there was a third Mrs. Watson. Was Holmes truly affected by Watson's absence? There is a subtle time lapse that may give away how Holmes dealt with a matrimonial Watson. And a look at how Holmes dealt with solitude earlier in his life. It's just a trifle.   Hav...

"the only selfish action which I can recall in our association" [BLAN]   Sherlock Holmes was a loner. An independent consultant. An automaton. But he also shared rooms with Dr. Watson off and on for over 20 years. When Watson went off and got married, how did this affect Holmes, really? And Watson had  how many  wives? It's just a trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on  Apple Podcasts yet...

"his strange headgear" [SPEC]   Sherlock Holmes is synonymous with a certain type of hat. We don't need to mention the kind. You know what it is. But he never wore one in the stories, which you probably also know. But what about some of the other hats that were mentioned by name in the Canon? It's kind of a hat check name check in this episode. And it's just a trifle.   Have you left us a rating a...

"from their East Indian colonies" [RESI]   "Asian" isn't a term that pops up in the Sherlock Holmes canon. And yet we meet a handful of individuals who lived in or interacted with residents of the largest continent on the planet. We hear of Asian countries such as Japan, China, Afghanistan, Andaman Islands, Ceylon, the Dutch East Indies, India, Tibet, Nepal, Persia, Siam, Malay, Singapore, Turkey,...

"Going for a swim, I see." [LION]   How many swimmers do we encounter in the Sherlock Holmes stories? Given that only one story is centered around an ill-fated swim, you might think you know the answer. Then again, you might be mistaken. Allow us to turn over the Canon in our minds for other references to swimming. And what do we know about swimming habits in the late Victorian / early Edwardian e...

"you had been out in vile weather" [SCAN]   Think about the number of times we come across inclement weather in the Sherlock Holmes stories. It's almost like the cliched "It was a dark and stormy night." How often do we find that harsh weather conditions run parallel to some tempestuous conditions in various Canonical households?  It's just a trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on  Appl...

"It is always awkward doing business with an alias." [BLUE]   Back in Episode 96, we chatted about the many disguises and other identities of Sherlock Holmes. But what about other people in the Canon who played dress-up? Whether they were trying to dupe one of his clients or Sherlock Holmes himself, these individuals each had good reasons to be incognito. It's just a trifle. Have you left us a rat...

"this young stranger from Canada" [HOUN]   Canadians are so polite. Why, Sir Henry barely complained of being killed by his family's legendary spectral hound. Where do we find Canadians and Canadian influences in the Sherlock Holmes stories? There aren't terribly many instances, but there are just enough to be a Trifle.   We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including  Apple Podcasts...

"a very different level to your Majesty" [SCAN]  "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" has a similar theme to that of "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor": a British gentleman and his flighty American bride with her checkered past. Is there some lesson implied here about the importance of sticking with one's own tribe and class? And what other instances in the Sherlock Holmes stories stand out as ex...

"excellent wild-duck shooting" [GLOR]  When we think of English country estates, it's only natural to think of outdoor activities. In many cases this included the pastimes of hunting and shooting. Where in the Sherlock Holmes stories do we find the landed gentry headed off to bring down some quarry that the gamekeeper has stocked? Our monthly series on games and sports take us on this wild goose c...

"three times repeated" [FIVE]  There's a familiar plot device that runs throughout a number of Sherlock Holmes stories. That number is three, but do you know which stories make use of it? We discuss this recurring theme, where it's the most convincing, and why humans get hoodwinked by such arrangements. It's just a Trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on  Apple Podcasts  yet? You don't n...

"he was bearded" [SIGN]   Well this is embarrassing. As we finished our editing and prepared to leave for a business trip, we realized one critical fact about this topic: we've already  talked about it  (in Episode 105). Nevertheless, we suggest you listen and perhaps compare and contrast the two episodes. Yes, there may be a little overlap, but the discussion goes to show how the Sherlock Holmes...

"he still made India too hot to hold him" [EMPT]  India is a wonderful land. And it plays a part in a number of Sherlock Holmes stories. Certainly, it's a center point in  The Sign of Four , but where else do we find the influence of India in the Canon?    In our regular feature of international influences in the Sherlock Holmes stories, we learn about battles, cities, districts and other Indian c...

"I'm a bit of a single-stick expert, as you know" [ILLU]  In listing Sherlock Holmes's limits in A Study in Scarlet, Dr. Watson indicates that Holmes is something of an amateur sportsman: "11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman." In this latest entry in our Games and Sports series, we look at singlestick and its relation to other pastimes and run-ins in the Canon. It's just a Tr...

"Let us escape from this weary workaday world by the side door of music." [RETI]   Sherlock Holmes took a great interest in musicians and concerts, mentioning a few by name in the Canon.  In the last episode, we discussed composers and their works; this time, it's off to violin-land where all is sweetness and light. We look at performers real and fictional, where they plied their trade, and what i...

"a composer of no ordinary merit." [REDH]  From the very beginning of the Sherlock Holmes stories, we know that Sherlock Holmes plays the violin. It's one of the personality traits he admits to Watson and that Watson later chronicles. In addition to Holmes's own performances, we come across a number of other composers and their works in the Canon. Who and what were they? It's just a Trifle.   Have...

"a man might as well live in Russia" [VALL]  The connections between Sherlock Holmes an Russia—in the Sherlock Holmes stories themselves, as least—would seem to be limited. Yet it provides much information for a robust discussion. From exported goods to crimes from two decades previous, we encounter a smattering of mentions of the Land of Rus. What do they tell us about Sherlock Holmes? And what w...

"He started in his little yacht" [BLAC]  There are plenty of instances of maritime transportation in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But when it comes to pleasure crafts, we're left with a scant few. The use various boats for leisure and sporting activities is present sporadically throughout the Canon, so you have to pay attention. We investigate these few instances, plus a supposition. It is of cour...

"you were on the battlefield" [BLAN]  In the last episode, Robert Katz, BSI began to take us through his theory of where Dr. Watson spent his early years. He used the facts given to us by Watson himself, combined with the reasoning of Sherlock Holmes to arrive at some conclusions. This week, he brings us the other half of the story: after Watson moved from Australia to America, he tells us about t...

"I travelled in my youth" [TWIS]  We know little about Dr. Watson's life, aside from what he managed to tell us. Yes, he was in the Army's medical department. Yes, he was wounded. And he needed to find a flatmate to be able to afford London on his pension. But what about beyond that? Sherlock Holmes was able to make some inferences from a watch that Watson's brother bequeathed to him. There are a...

"her people have been leaders in Pernambuco for generations" [3GAB]   South America and its exotic tropical climate is about as far removed from the dampness of England as one can find. Its collective countries stand in juxtaposition to proper Victorian customs, and anything in the Sherlock Holmes stories that touches South America is suspect. We look at some of the men and women associated with t...