Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"some hocus-pocus" [SIGN]   The last time we were together, we examined Sherlock Holmes's Tours de Force (Episode 282), in which we discussed a number of ways he wowed people with his unique skills. As we look closer, there are instances when people accuse him of practicing magic, sorcery, or wizardry. What are those examples, and what might have happened to Sherlock Holmes, had he lived in a diff...

" my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid" [REDH]  One of the greatest features of the Sherlock Holmes stories is seeing the master ply his trade. That is, watching Holmes when he dazzles Watson (and us!) with his brilliance.   In the first two novels plus  The Adventures  and  The Memoirs , we have some delicious examples of Holmes at his finest. It is ju...

"a remarkable cow" [PRIO] The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years.    In this episode, we turn to an award-winning article in  The Baker Street Journal . S. Tupper Bigelow pondered the patterns of hoof-marks as laid out in various editions of the Canon, and won the Morley-Montgomery Award in 1962 fo...

"A touch! A distinct touch!" [VALL] Every author owes something to Shakespeare. His inventiveness with language has withstood the test of time, and many of the phrases he originated or popularized are still in use today. We find Shakespeare's words dotted throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories, well beyond the usual quotes. A number of Shakespearean phrases are allusions in the Canon. It's just a...

" As to your dates, that is the biggest mystification of all." [CREE]  This is another instance of the new product we're calling "I Can't Believe We Didn't Talk About This Already."   An early instance of Sherlockian scholarship and commentary, in 1934 Dorothy L. Sayers wrote "The Dates in the Red-Headed League," picking up where H.W. Bell's 1932  Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Chronology of...

"Drive like the devil " [SCAN]  Call this the case of the overlooked fact. And one that was staring us in the face, too. It concerns the marriage of Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton in "A Scandal in Bohemia."   A listener wrote in and asked us just why Irene Adler had to get married in such a rush. We did a little digging, found some material to discuss, and put our own thoughts into it. It's just a...

"There's not a tree in the park " [EMPT]  The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years.    In this episode, we look at Nicholas Utechin's masterful piece from the 1972  Baker Street Journal  in which he deduced exactly where Colonel Moran was when he shot the Hon. Ronald Adair in "The Empty House." Or wa...

" Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, drew out a small case-book" [SPEC]  The first week of the month means it's a "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist"-themed episode, featuring an old piece of scholarship that investigates some trifling issue.   In this episode, we look at an early piece that Martin Dakin wrote for  The Sherlock Holmes Journal , questioning the authenticity of some of the...

"grazing the top of the oak" [MUSG]   I think that I shall never see... a Sherlock Holmes story as lovely as a tree. However, there are plenty of instances of trees in the Canon that make for interesting observation, if only we stop to look at them through the forest.   Inspired by one of Don Jewell's books, we spend some time investigating the instances of oaks and elms in the stories (far more t...

"a look of grief and despair " [BERY] Let's face it: when clients arrived to consult Sherlock Holmes, they were rarely in positive spirits. Some were confused, others were concerned, and some were just looking for answers.   But some were grief-stricken. Or had cases that ended in grief. It's a sad admission of reality, but there is a strain of grief that starts at the beginning of the stories and...

"I want that yellow diamond!" [MAZA] The  Masters Class series continues, and this time, Peter Blau instructs us on some finer points of geology and of geopolitical history.  "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" featured a yellow diamond, and yet, the Crown Jewels don't contain a diamond of that color. So what was the gem and where did it originate? It's just a Trifle.   Full show notes:  https://...

"the air of London is the sweeter for my presence" [FINA] We're back with the third and final installment in our series On the Scent with Sherlock Holmes, as we investigate the olfactory elements of the city. This time, it's a matter of "obnoxious organic waste," and that encompasses pretty much what you think it does. And then some. We might call it just a Trifle. And you don't want to miss the s...

"this extraordinary league " [REDH]   For fans of sportsball, the concept of fantasy leagues might seem like a modern invention. A late-20th century pastime of creating the ideal lineup of teammates for competition. But what if you could do that with literary characters?   The first week of the month means it's time to look back at a piece of old scholarship, and in this case we've chosen Henry D....

"Would you care to try it?" [SCAN] It's the sixth season of Trifles and we realized we hadn't covered a central yet sensitive topic related to Sherlock Holmes: cocaine.   Thanks to a helpful article from a listener, we decided to delve into the history of medicinal cocaine and Victorian England's attitude toward it. It's just a Trifle.   Full show notes :  https://ihose.co/trifles269 Thank you to...

"the source of these outrages is known " [VEIL]   The Masters Class series continues, and this time, we delve into the active mind of Nicholas Utechin, who presents a well-reasoned and well-researched explanation for what happened in one of the unpublished cases.   We find ourselves focusing on the opening paragraph of "The Veiled Lodger," which took place in 1896 but was published in early 1927....

"dropping from branch to branch " [CREE]    The London in which Sherlock Holmes lived gave off its own scents. Whether the roads were paved or covered in mud, they would have played into Holmes's identifications.   And the transportation, whether mechanical or animal, was also part of this potpourri of aromas. The reality is that the city's smells, as pungent as they may have been, were for many p...

"One A, two B, and so on. You will hear soon." [REDC]   The secret code that Genarro and Emilia Lucca shared for passing messages to each other in "The Red Circle" was straightforward. Or was it?   In 1956, Donald Yates—then a 26 year-old budding Sherlockian—made an observation about the code, the alphabet(s), and the credit that was due to Sherlock Holmes for his invisible but lightning-quick ana...

"Halloa, Beryl!"  [HOUN]   In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Henry falls for Stapleton's sister, who was said to be "a young lady of attractions." However, Stapleton clearly didn't like the idea of the two of them together.   At the conclusion of the story, with Stapleton out of the picture, what was there to stop her and Sir Henry from becoming romantically involved? It's just a Trifle.     A...

"men of such a different type " [SOLI]   We're beginning a new monthly series focused on some of the best scholarship over the years. The kind of articles that highlight the creativity and ingenuity of Sherlockians and Holmesians as they consider some of the minutiae in the stories. The best of the best. We're calling this series "Masters Class."   In this inaugural episode, we look at an award-wi...

"I am one of the hounds" [STUD]   On two occasions in the Sherlock Holmes stories do we find Holmes employing a dog to help him track a scent. But beyond those two, Holmes himself displays canine-like properties.   While Conan Doyle does a wonderful job exposing us to so much of the late Victorian era, there's one area that doesn't come through: smells. What were some of the scents that attracted...

"On the very day that I had come to this conclusion" [STUD]  It all began with a chance meeting between two medical school colleagues at the Criterion Bar. Stamford then took Watson to St Bartholomew's Hospital (aka "Barts"), where, in a chemical laboratory, he made the acquaintance of one Sherlock Holmes. In Season 6, we're bringing back our monthly series "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist," in w...

"nothing but a welcome for my friend and colleague" [TWIS]   The great heroes of literature are frequently teamed up with a sidekick: Don Quixote with Sancho Panza, Robinson Crusoe with Friday, Huckleberry Finn with Tom Sawyer. But the key to these pairings is an underlying friendship.   In the final episode of Season 5, we take a look at one of the most obvious features of the Sherlock Holmes can...

"a curiously reptilian fashion" [FINA]   Aside from vipers, cobras, and adders, there are other reptiles in the Sherlock Holmes stories that either have a bearing on cases or are mentioned in passing. We're even able to find an amphibian or two.   In this final episode of our Exotic Animals series in Season 5, we visit the Reptile House and explore what the Victorians knew (or didn't know) about t...

"Homes seldom laughed." [MAZA]     Sherlock Holmes could be deadly serious. As in his encounter with Professor Moriarty, his matter-of-fact explanations, and when Watson wrote "Holmes seldom laughed" in "The Mazarin Stone."   But was Sherlock Holmes really all that humorless? Fortunately, we have decades of Watson's chronicles from which to choose. Let's get into it. After all, it's just a Trifle....