Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

Sherlock Holmes, Cabby

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Stop at a telegraph-office, cabby!" [SIGN]      Cabbies are everywhere in London – indeed, so common in some cases that they're simply o...

Wordplay

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"very curious phraseology" [WIST]      Here's an interesting little subject that ought to intrigue many Sherlock Holmes fans: words. We are ...

Will the Real Devil's Foot Stand Up?

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"kept as a secret among them" [DEVI]      When Dr. Leon Sterndale said there was only one known specimen of radix pedis dioaboli – devil's...

The Second Collaboration

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"His collaboration may be very necessary" [ILLU]      There's a curious phrase in the beginning of A Study in Scarlet that requires a littl...

To Go to Norwood

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"we shall certainly have to go to Norwood" [SIGN]  The latest in our travel series takes us to Norwood. In particular, the Norwood in The Sign of ...

The Manor House Case

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"consult me over that Manor House case" [GREE]    In addition to fascinating cases and clients, the Sherlock Holmes stories saw some wonderful h...

B Is for Biscuit

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"one of biscuits" [GLOR]    It's not often we find ourselves with a Muppets crossover, but after stumbling across a few trifling references in t...

The Effect of Trades on the Body

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"the weaver by his tooth or the compositor by his thumb" [COPP]    On the third week of every month, we look at a piece of Sherlockian scholarsh...

Canonical Luggage and Railway Journeys

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"whatever luggage you intend to take" [FINA]     We're back on the rails this week, with our monthly travel-related episode. This time, we tur...

Half Measures

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"half-humorous, half-cynical" [DEVI]     Celebrate our terquasquicentennial with us as we take a full look at "half" mentions in the Canon. Wh...

Secret Societies

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"the secret societies must have done it" [STUD]     Here and there across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we find ourselves embroiled in the intr...

Corpulence in the Canon

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"His body was absolutely corpulent" [GREE]     Join us for another "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode, in which we bring a piece of Sh...

An Essex Adventure

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"not far from Frinton." [RETI]     It's travel time again! The second episode of every month in Season 8 is travel-themed, and we ride the ra...

Watson's Billiard Playing

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"chalk his billiard-cue" [MISS]     Back in Season 3, when we did a series on Games and Sports, we had one episode on billiards in the Sherlock...

Hunting Crops

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"here's a hunting crop handy" [IDEN]     In the last episode, we reflected on Sherlock Holmes chasing James Windibank out of Baker Street. Whi...

Hosmeric Hypocrisy

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"You'll be interested to hear that I am engaged." [CHAS]     The name of this show was inspired in part by William Hyder, BSI ("A Most Valuabl...

The Other Boarder

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"There was no other boarder" [VALL]     The third episode of every month in Season 8 finds us revisiting familiar ground: episodes under the "...

The Underground Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"We traveled by the Underground" [REDH]       We're kicking off a new monthly series for Season 8: travel. Highly appropriate, as we travel t...

Soothing Elements

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere" [GREE]     It's easy to think of Sherlock Holmes as an automaton — Watson himself call...

Oh My!

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Oh, my God! what a blind fool I have been!" [BERY]       Well, this is it. The final entry of Season 7 and of 2023. And it marks our 365th...

Watson à la Mode

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a charming coquettish intimacy" [3GAB]     The final installment in this season's Masters Class is another Christopher Morley essay, "Watson...

The 12 Trifles of Christmas

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"the compliments of the season" [BLUE]     Here it is, 12 days before Christmas — the perfect time to celebrate with you. So we're doing it...

Hand Washing

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"washed their hands of the matter" [GREE]    We like to think that the practice of hand washing is a universal occurrence. After a couple of y...

Bears

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"bear in mind" [MUSG]  Image credit: Russell Stutler   Can you think of the instances when bears are mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes s...

By Jove!

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"By Jove, Watson; I've got it!" [CHAS]    Last month, we contemplated the significance of the exclamation "By George!" So this month, we give ...

Dr. Watson's Secret

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"This terrible secret" [FIVE]    Dr. Watson was a master of inconsistencies. Or perhaps sloppiness. Or, according to Christopher Morley, inten...

Pencils

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Now, then, give him the pencil." [GREE]    Writing implements are a part of daily life. They are today and they were when Watson was writing ...

Thanks!

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tigers

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"bag of tigers" [EMPT]    We continue to clean up and cover a few more animals that we missed in previous seasons. The tiger was another foreig...

Was Sherlock Holmes an American?

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I'm a free-born American" [STUD]    It's the final quarter of our Masters Class series, and this is the first of three essays we're going to brin...

By George!

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"By George, it's marvellous!" [GOLD]  "By George!" It's an expression you've heard and read thousands of times, most likely. And it comes up in the ...

The Dental Holmes

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a set of excellent teeth" [RESI]       Around these parts, we've surveyed the implications of teeth, teeth marks and other clues for the pu...

Lions

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"you used to shoot lions" [MAZA]   Back in Season 5, we had a recurring feature: each month, we looked at a particular exotic animal from the Sh...

The Ripper and the Crown

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"He thought the tutor" [3STU]   The final installment in our Masters Class series featuring the work of Michael Harrison takes us into the world...

Terrible Human Tragedies

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"the most terrible human tragedies" [VEIL]   Having inadvertently left "The Veiled Lodger" out of our discussion about suicide in Episode 349, w...

Suicides in the Sherlock Holmes Stories

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I only breathe it among ourselves—a suicide" [GOLD]   LISTENER ADVISORY: This episode contains mentions of suicide, which some listeners may f...

Dueling Topics: The Real Birlstone Manor

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"at the Manor House in consultation with his two colleagues" [VALL]   One of the great bits of fun of scanning the Sherlock Holmes stories is t...

The Poetic Hound

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Cut out the poetry, Watson" [RETI]      The Hound of the Baskervilles holds a special place for many people. It is a gothic tale of horror...

Why Didn't I Check Montague Street?

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"he walked into my room in Montague Street" [MUSG]      The Masters Class is now in session! For the second time, we turn to a Michael Harr...

Animal Abuse

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a last howl of agony" [HOUN]      Modern times give animals nearly as many rights as humans, but such was not the case in Victorian times....

Conan Doyle and Cars

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"as his car swung round the village street" [LAST]    As you know, most of the Sherlock Holmes stories were set squarely in the Victorian era...

Canonical Sevens

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"called me in seven times" [ABBE]    There's something magical about the number seven. Whether or not it appears more than other numbers in t...

221B, Baker Street

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"this evening at 221B, Baker Street" [BLUE]  Image credit: Russell Stutler   It's time once again for the Masters Class, the episode ea...

A Few Quick Ones

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"this quick succession of strange surprises" [SIGN]    There are some trifles that are too trifling to stand on their own. Then again, Burt an...

Dining with Sherlock Holmes

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boscombe Valley Oddities

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"What do you say, dear?" [BOSC]    One of the earlier cases in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" is filled with ...

Up From the Needle

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a nice taste in wines" [LAST]    In this month's Masters Class, we turn for the final time to a work of Edgar W. Smith's, "Up From the Needle...

Business at the Cedars

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"It is, of course, a trifle" [TWIS]    Sometimes there are moments in the Sherlock Holmes stories when we just take Holmes at his word, giving...

Dairy Go Round

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I've learned not to cry over spilled milk" [SIGN]    Between recent episodes on Eggs and Breakfast, it seems like we've had our fill of comest...

Alcoholism

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Is alcohol permitted?" [MAZA]      We've explored a number of angles around alcohol in the Sherlock Holmes stories, but it recently struck ...

The Great Hiatus

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I travelled for two years" [EMPT]      This month's Masters Class features the second in our three essays by Edgar W. Smith. In Vol. 1 No. ...

The Magic Number

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"We have touched on three" [TWIS]    Since this is Episode 333 and since there are three stories in the Canon that incorporate the number thr...

Police Precautions

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Why not take police precautions against him?" [FINA]      When reading "The Final Problem," it's difficult not to be caught off-guard. Afte...

Eggs

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"when I have exterminated that fourth egg" [VALL]    While we discussed breakfast in the last episode, we felt we paid more attention to the t...

Breakfast at Baker Street

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"we had breakfasted" [CHAS]    For all the meals we hear about in the Sherlock Holmes stories – not to mention Mrs. Hudson having a good idea...

The Adventure of the Veiled Author

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"an anonymous communication from a quarter" [VALL]    Just who was it that wrote "His Last Bow"? We know it wasn't Watson, as there were obser...

Weapons

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a varied collection of weapons" [CROO]      Watson was wounded by a Jezzail bullet, Holmes fired a patriotic 'V.R.' into the wall at Baker ...

Gardens

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"one by one passed through into the little garden" [STUD]    Whether we think of British gardens as landscaped acres of greenery or as the sou...

Dueling Topics: Watson's Gender

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Old woman be damned!" [STUD]    One of the wonderful things about examining and reexamining the Sherlock Holmes canon is that we can find thi...

The Love Life of Sherlock Holmes

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"any emotion akin to love" [SCAN]    Sherlock Holmes doesn't seem to have a high opinion of women, although he does a fine job of understandin...

Premonitions

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"a feeling of vague expectancy" [LAST]    "Beware the Ides of March." So went the warning from the soothsayer to the title character in Willia...

Hobbies in the Canon

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"that is my special hobby" [HOUN]    We all have hobbies. Indeed, our interest in Sherlock Holmes is a perfect example.   What do we know abo...

Sleepless in Baker Street

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I found myself in dream-land" [SIGN]    Regular sleep patterns seem to be a rarity in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Watson dozed off while Hol...

Real Life Inspirations: A Scandal in Bohemia

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own" [SCAN]    We're treated to a variety of colorful characters in the Sherlo...

The Erudition of Sherlock Holmes

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Your merits should be publicly recognized." [STUD]      We continue with our monthly series of Masters Class episodes, going back to Trevor ...

Compound Surnames

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"toward the Triple Alliance" [NAVA]      When we're introduced to the victim in "Wisteria Lodge," it happens first by telegram — a telegram...

Dr. Watson's Marriages

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"over many nations and three separate continents" [SIGN]    We all know about Mary Morstan from The Sign of Four, of her marriage to Watson, an...

A Detective By Any Other Name

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"gazing with great reverence at the famous detective" [HOUN]    When Sherlock Holmes describes himself to Watson, he says that he's a consultin...

The Early Years of Sherlock Holmes

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"pictures of the old masters" [ILLU]    It's the first of our monthly Masters Class episodes for Season 7, and we're kicking off a series of th...

Pianos

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"observe the spatulate finger-end" [SOLI]    Quick: in which Sherlock Holmes stories do we find the mention of a piano? You might think you kno...

Mentors in the Canon

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"this insignificant-looking man inspired me" [GREE]    We all have examples of mentors in our lives. People who inspire us and coach us, helping u...

The Home Life of Henry Baker

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the unknown gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner" [BLUE]    Poor Henry Baker has always been a sad, sympathetic character. Deprived of his ...

Mrs. Hudson: A Legend in Her Own Lodging-House

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"a long-suffering woman" [DYIN]      Have you considered how much (or little) we know about Mrs. Hudson, and what we take for granted? For ex...

Lysanders

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Good old Dr. Starr!" [3GAR]    One of the creepiest looking characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories was Col. Lysander Stark, who chased afte...

The Route of the Blue Carbuncle

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China" [BLUE]    The blue carbuncle had quite a journey. Before it even arrived in the action...

Rambling About

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"devoted to a series of walks" [WIST]    In at least four separate cases, we know that Holmes and Watson were out strolling around London. How ...

Revealing Costume

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"revealing what they are" [ENGR]      "By a man's finger nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of ...

The Boscombe Valley Mystery

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"That sounds a little paradoxical." [BOSC]      The fourth short story in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," g...

Doyle and Water

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"a cry for help and a splash in the water" [FIVE]      Water, water everywhere. And that just makes us think. Of the Sherlock Holmes stories,...

Our Client's Foot Upon the Stair

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"heard upon the stairs" [SCAN]      So much of how we think about Sherlock Holmes is due to the scenes where we find Holmes and Watson at hom...

Candles

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"numerous candles did something" [HOUN]      We equate gas lamps with Sherlock Holmes — even electric lights. But we don't often think abou...

The Colonel of the Matter

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the line of his pedigree" [EMPT]      Colonel Sebastian Moran was called "the second most dangerous man in London" and was a formidable adve...

It Happened at Midnight

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"to reconstruct this midnight drama" [MUSG]    A quick look through the Sherlock Holmes stories finds a good number of incidents taking place ...

Clients in Jeopardy

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the victim of an unfortunate accident" [FIVE]      For our "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the theorist" episode, we take a step back into 1947 to "Cli...

Langurtin

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the wondrous strength-giving serum" [CREE]      For our 300th episode, we thought we'd do something just a Trifle different. Following the t...

Masters Class: Lowenstein of Prague

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"an obscure scientist who was striving in some unknown way" [CREE]      In this month's Masters Class, we turn to a Morley-Montgomery Award-w...

The British Monarchy

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"a regal and stately lady in Court dress" [CHAS]    With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we find ourselves in a similar place as Sherlock Ho...

The Arcadia Mixture

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days then!" [CROO]    When Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson first met, Watson noted he was ...

The Metaphysical Holmes

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"I caught a glimpse of a great heart" [3GAB]    Without a question, Sherlock Holmes was a master of his craft. When we look at his motivations fo...

The Best Sherlock Holmes Stories

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the finest assorted collection" [STUD]      For nearly a century, there has been a general concordance on which Sherlock Holmes stories are be...

James Watson, M.D.

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"he was trying to hide his own identity" [RESI]  Over the years, there have been numerous theories about how Watson (or Mrs. Watson, rather) got ...

Carina

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Carina sings tonight at Royal Albert Hall" [RETI]    We revisit our previous episodes about music, with a singular investigation: Carina.   Men...

His Last Bow — Wow!

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the judgment which we have pronounced" [ABBE]  You say bow, I say bow. Potato, potato, tomato, tomato, let's call the whole thing off.   Of cour...

The Four Violets

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"stained with violet" [IDEN]  It should come as no surprise that the most common name of female leads in the Sherlock Holmes stories was Violet. W...

The Dynamics of an Asteroid

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"man in the scientific press capable of criticizing it" [VALL]    Every month, we feature an episode called "Masters Class" that looks at an exem...

A Study in Speech

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"a curious lisp in her utterance" [HOUN]  In the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave us settings and characters that spri...

A Note on The Priory School

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"one might think that you were afraid of our finding something out" [PRIO]  The first week of the month means it's time for another round of Mr. Sh...

Sherlock Holmes and Advertising

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"run down to the advertising agency and have this put in the evening papers" [BLUE] We know Sherlock Holmes valued the agony column; we discussed th...

Strange Business

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"the rest of that strange company" [DANC]  Men and women from professions of all kinds consulted Sherlock Holmes. And throughout the Canon we're in...

Watson's Hidden Addiction

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"much addicted" [TWIS]    This month's Masters Class brings us back to a Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article from The Baker Street Journal.  ...