Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"the direct nature of the experiment" [BRUC]   It's the third week of the month, and that means it's time for our Exotic Animals feature! When you hear "rat" anywhere near the Sherlock Holmes stories, there are three possible conclusions: the Giant Rat of Sumatra, Ballarat, or... Lab rats, which is our topic of discussion. While lab rats aren't literally mentioned in the Canon, there are some figu...

"The best possible" [NOBL]   In Episode 231, we left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. The show was filled with answers to questions from listeners, and one asked about our favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.  Rather than boring you with only our personal preferences, we got into a history of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, first as judged by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, and later by multitudes...

"they are pretty sure to ask questions anyhow, so it would be as well to have answers" [RETI]   We're doing something a little different for this episode. There are certain elements about the Sherlock Holmes stories that are just too trifling out of which to create an entire episode. So we turned to you. We're answering questions that you have submitted, hopefully providing more clarity than less....

"That is very fortunate" [SCAN]   Sherlock Holmes didn't believe in superstition, the supernatural, or random guesses. He was a detective who dealt in facts and data. And yet, the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories is littered with coincidences (happy or otherwise) and instances of luck. How did these play into the stories and Holmes's ability to solve them? It's just a Trifle.    Have you left us a...

"the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant" [VEIL]   There is one scant mention of a cormorant in the Sherlock Holmes stories — in one of Watson's enticing throwaway lines of a case which we'll never read. In "The Veiled Lodger," he tells us about the case involving a trained cormorant that might be revealed to the public. But what is a cormorant? Can it...

"I stooped to the eyepiece and focussed for my vision." [SHOS]  Given Arthur Conan Doyle's training in the field of eye medicine, it's no surprise that we find a number of Sherlock Holmes characters who wear glasses. In fact, an entire story is named after a set of eyewear. Who were some of the bespectacled band in the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle.   Links / Notes This episode:  iho...

"the sending of general messages" [VALL]    Sherlock Holmes was an inveterate message sender and receiver. The many notes, letters, telegrams, cryptogram, and other forms of communication that passed by his view made for key clues in some cases. We wondered how things might have turned out differently in certain cases if the frequency of messages were different. And how, in certain cases, Holmes d...

"I am a poor man" [PRIO]   Time and again, we find people in the Sherlock Holmes stories who are having money problems. As in money problems drastic enough to cause them to make unfortunate decisions. Who were some of these people, and what hard choices did they make? We have a few of them; it's just a Trifle.    Have you left us a rating and review on  Apple Podcasts  yet? You don't need to own a...

"like a viper's tooth" [DYIN] Here we are again, ready to tackle the monthly topic of exotic animals. So naturally, we turn to the wiper. Wait, the what ? Suffice it to say that the oddly-identified snake does have a place in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although way down at the East End. Oh, and there's the little matter of a Great War publishing machine. It's just a Trifle. Support us on Patreon...

"It is fortunate for this community that I am not a criminal."[BRUC] Sherlock Holmes certainly ran with a rough crowd. Burglars, murderers, blackmailers, thieves, spies, kidnappers, and even politicians. Given his store of criminal knowledge, what stopped him from becoming a criminal himself? Wait just a moment; while his cause was justice, his practice wasn't always on the right side of the law....

"a sharp touch of brain-fever" [MUSG]    Inspired by two sources of Sherlockian medical scholarship, we decided to discuss brain fever. What was brain fever, medically speaking? And why does it only rear its head in Victorian literature? Was it an actual affliction, or just a literary device? It's just a Trifle.     Please consider supporting our efforts through  Patreon  or  PayPal .       Links...

"Apply 221B, Baker Street" [NAVA]    Last week, we left you hanging with Vincent Starrett's chapter in his book  The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes .    We couldn't leave it unfinished, so we're back with the second half. And a special treat at the conclusion of the episode—also with a 221B theme.  It's just a Trifle.     Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Tr...

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street" [STUD]   There is no question that 221B Baker Street is the most famous address in all of fiction. What makes it interesting is its non-existence at the time of the stories' publications, and legions of fans attempting to determine its actual location afterward.   Vincent Starrett was a huge fan of this game. So much so that he dedicated a chapter in his...

"some creature of the weasel and stoat tribe" [CROO]  There was a fad in mid-century Victorian England that led to pets becoming more common. But the third week of each month, our episodes focus not on everyday household animals but rare and unusual creatures.   In this case, we focus on a member of the family Herpestidae. Namely, the mongoose. Making a few appearances in popular fiction, they're...

"rarefied heights of pure mathematics" [VALL]   As we know, James Moriarty was a professor of mathematics. We know little about his academic appointment, other than having to step down from a chair.   What we do know is he has two publications to his name. What are they, and what do they tell us about Moriarty's approach to a life of crime. They're just a Trifle.         Find Trifles wherever you...

"I return with an excellent appetite" [BLAC]    The Sherlock Holmes stories are a cornucopia of content. A smorgasbord of smarts. A full menu of fulfillment. So it shouldn't be terribly surprising that we find buffets mentioned in the Canon.   Perhaps you skipped over the Canonical buffet line. We can't blame you. The references are fleeting, at best. As we say, it's just a Trifle.       Find Trif...

 "Our own colours, green and white." [WIST]   Yes, the circle was red, the study was scarlet and the pips were orange. But there are so many other colors (or colours) to explore in the Sherlock Holmes stories.   Conan Doyle did a masterful job of using color to give us a vivid sense of the settings. But more than that, what does his use of various colors tell us? It's just a Trifle.           Find...

 "It is a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon."  [SPEC]    It seems that Dr. Grimesby Roylott had a bit of a wild side. Killed a man in India. Threw a blacksmith off a small bridge. Had a cheetah and baboon wandering his grounds. You know, as one does.   As we looked at the animals in detail, we came across a startling detail about Roylott's menagerie. You might say it's just a Trifl...

"There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick." [HOUN]  Walking sticks were once fashionable. They were just as necessary as a pair of gloves and a hat in a gentleman's daily attire in Victorian England.   But they also served a practical purpose from time to time. And Sherlock Holmes was able to use these personal effects as clue givers. What do we know about walking sticks and canes...

"shoes, but no socks." [PRIO]   Over the course of our first four seasons, we covered a wide variety of haberdashery: dressing gowns , clothes , disguises , and hats , to name a few. But we haven't covered anything related to footwear (unless you count that fleeting reference to tennis shoes in Episode 119 ).   Shoes, boots, and slippers are a few of the kinds of footwear we come across in the She...

"I can tell a Moriarty when I see one." [VALL]    Quick: in "The Final Problem," what is the name of Sherlock Holmes's arch-rival? Yes, we know it's Professor Moriarty, but what's his first name? If you said "James," you'd be wrong.   Would you be surprised to learn that he has not only one, but two brothers, at least one of whom is also named James? It's a conundrum worthy of Moriarty himself. An...

  " the great black-faced monkey of the Himalayan slopes," [CREE]    It's only mentioned in passing, but the langur played an important role in "The Aventure of the Creeping Man." It showed you could make a monkey out of Professor Presbury.   In this episode, we begin a monthly series on exotic animals. What do we know of langurs? Or of the other choices at hand during that time? It seems like a p...

"His life as been academic" [CREE]    Sherlock Holmes and academic affairs are, well, elementary. [Sorry] But have you considered those who hold the title "professor" when it comes to the stories?   Of course you know Professor Moriarty. But there are only two others, which is a tad surprising, given the stories that involved the academy. It's just a Trifle.       Find Trifles wherever you listen...

  " you could not celebrate him without being known yourself." [HOUN]   Every year, the Baker Street Irregulars meet in early January to celebrate Sherlock Holmes's birthday. Why January, or more specifically January 6? It's an interesting story.   We discuss what factors may support that supposition and highlight the scholarship that helped us arrive at this date. It's just a Trifle.     Find Tri...

"As I expected, his reply was typewritten" [IDEN]    While handwriting was and is distinctive enough for a detective like Sherlock Holmes to draw some inferences, typography isn't quite so forgiving.    Whether it was through fonts used in newspapers or flourishes of individual typewriters ("the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well." [IDEN]), Holmes was able to...