Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

Will the Real Devil's Foot Stand Up?

“kept as a secret among them” [DEVI]      When Dr. Leon Sterndale said there was only one known specimen of radix pedis dioaboli – devil's foot root – in a laboratory in Buda, it was clear that it was a poison unknown to science.   Just what was it that was "used as an ordeal poison by the medicine-men in certain districts of West Africa"? Dr. Robert Ennis had an idea related to a substance we know well today, based on his observations in emergency rooms. And it’s anything but a Trif...

The Second Collaboration

“His collaboration may be very necessary” [ILLU]      There's a curious phrase in the beginning of A Study in Scarlet that requires a little more consideration. Do you know what it is? John Ball, Jr. did.  And his theory about what that phrase signified is an intelligent and plausible one, lifted from a 1954 issue of The Baker Street Journal and The Baker Street Reader. Along the way, we uncover a surprising fact about Ball. And it’s anything but a Trifle. All of our supporters are ...

To Go to Norwood

“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 Four. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Mary Morstan take a cab to a seedier part of London, and then a four-wheeler south to Norwood. How long would it have taken them? And what else might we find in this London suburb? Michael Harrison assists with an essay from In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes, and it’s just a Trifle.   All of our supp...

The Manor House Case

“consult me over that Manor House case” [GREE]    In addition to fascinating cases and clients, the Sherlock Holmes stories saw some wonderful house names. How did some of them get their names?   We look at the history of house names, call out the story names that were also house names, and mention a few of our favorite lesser-known country houses in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.   Oh, and just for our Patreon and Substack supporters, we have some additional analysis in a bonus ...

B Is for Biscuit

“one of biscuits” [GLOR]    It's not often we find ourselves with a Muppets crossover, but after stumbling across a few trifling references in the Sherlock Holmes stories, we began to think about the Cookie Monster in Baker Street.   Of course, there were no cookies in Baker Street. Only biscuits. Where might we find mentions of biscuits in the Canon? And what do we know about their variety and history? It's just another treat – a Trifle.   Oh, and just for our Patreon supporters...

The Effect of Trades on the Body

“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 scholarship in a series we call "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist." In this episode, the article "The Effect of Trades on the Body" by Remsen Ten Eyck Schenck from Vol. 3, No. 1 of The Baker Street Journal in 1953 serves as our anchor.   Schenck offers a look at one of the monographs Holmes mentioned in The Sign of Four and proceeds to compare it with...

Canonical Luggage and Railway Journeys

“whatever luggage you intend to take” [FINA]     We're back on the rails this week, with our monthly travel-related episode. This time, we turn to an article written by H.J. Curjel for The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 12, Nos. 3 & 4, Summer 1976.    Specifically, we review his survey of stories in which railway journeys long and short took place, and specifically those in which luggage was mentioned or when people traveled without luggage. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a sug...

Half Measures

“half-humorous, half-cynical” [DEVI]     Celebrate our terquasquicentennial with us as we take a full look at "half" mentions in the Canon. While there are nearly 400 instances of the word, there are a select few that tell us something about hte personality of Sherlock Holmes.    Namely, that Sherlock Holmes used the term "half" strategically when he wanted to sound a certain way. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihear...

Secret Societies

“the secret societies must have done it” [STUD]     Here and there across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we find ourselves embroiled in the intrigue that involves secret societies. Many are of foreign origin, and they're almost always associated with death and violence.   What are these organizations and in which stories can we find them? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the a...

Corpulence in the Canon

“His body was absolutely corpulent” [GREE]     Join us for another "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode, in which we bring a piece of Sherlockian scholarship about a trifling issue to you.    This time, we look at Anna Brindisi Behrens' article "Corpulence in the Canon: Beyond Stereotypes" from the Winter 2023 issue of The Baker Street Journal (Vol. 73., No. 4). It's a look beyond the obvious, and as always, it's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episo...

An Essex Adventure

“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 rails again with "An Essex Adventure" by A. Godfrey Hunt from The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Winter 1992).    Here we have the case of Holmes getting a client-cum-suspect out of the way. And in doing so, he sent Josiah Amberley with Watson on a wild goose chase to Essex. Why Essex, though? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a sugg...

Watson's Billiard Playing

“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 Holmes stories. In this case, we were inspired by an article in the Sherlock Holmes Journal specifically mentioning Watson's billiard-playing habits.   When did Watson start playing billiards? Who was Thurston? And other than at his club, where is it likely that he engaged in the game? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a ...

Hunting Crops

“here’s a hunting crop handy” [IDEN]     In the last episode, we reflected on Sherlock Holmes chasing James Windibank out of Baker Street. While he did so, he referenced his handy hunting crop.    Hunting crops, do (ahem) crop up in the Canon from time to time. Who used them and why? What are they used for when not being brandished as weapons? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea o...

Hosmeric Hypocrisy

“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 Valuable Institution"), who includes a half sheet of a trifling matter in the dinner packet of the Baker Street Irregulars each year. And as has become our tradition, each January, we use his Trifle.   Our attention turns to Hosmer Angel / James Windibank from "A Case of Identity," who led on Miss Mary Sutherland with whiskers, tinted glasses, a whisp...

The Other Boarder

“There was no other boarder” [VALL]     The third episode of every month in Season 8 finds us revisiting familiar ground: episodes under the "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" category, as we revisit old Sherlockian scholarship.   This episode brings us to an overlooked chapter of a familiar book. It's James Keddie's "The Other Boarder" from Vincent Starrett's 221B: Studies in Sherlock Holmes, in which he brings in a surprising discovery from "Behind the Times." And it's just a Trifl...

The Underground Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“We traveled by the Underground” [REDH]       We're kicking off a new monthly series for Season 8: travel. Highly appropriate, as we travel to New York for the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend.   In this case, our travel is local within London. That is, the Underground. For as much as we associate Sherlock Holmes and London, his travel on the Underground was a bit limited. The late John Baesch, BSI helps us explore it. And it's just a Trifle.    If you have a suggestion for a T...

Soothing Elements

“I have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere” [GREE]     It's easy to think of Sherlock Holmes as an automaton — Watson himself called Holmes that exact word, remarking “There is something positively inhuman in you at times.”   And yet, if we consider the detective's demeanor with clients and the types of activities he found solace in, we find a softer side of Holmes. It's just a Trifle.    If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlo...

Oh My!

“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 episode.    We reach the final episode in a quartet of episodes that took us as many months to complete, honoring Alfred Hitchcock as an inspiration. And we look back at the origins of the show, what some of the running themes have been, and where we'll take it in Season 8. It's just a Trifle.   Thank you to our loyal listeners, who are enth...

Watson à la Mode

“a charming coquettish intimacy” [3GAB]     The final installment in this season's Masters Class is another Christopher Morley essay, "Watson à la Mode," from Vol. 1 No. 1 of The Baker Street Journal (1946).   We discuss Morley's keen analysis of Watson's eye for fashion and an extraordinary conclusion about his marriages. It's just a Trifle.   Oh, and we've issued a challenge to Trifles Patreon supporters, due before the next issue drops. A prize awaits!   If you have a sugges...

The 12 Trifles of Christmas

“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 in style.   Listener Jim Zych was kind enough to share his trifling monograph "The 12 Sherlockian Days of Christmas," so we thought we might adapt it for you. So take a numerical journey through the Canon with us. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your ...

Hand Washing

“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 years of a pandemic, it was certainly ingrained into the public's awareness (we hope).   But when it comes to life in the Sherlock Holmes stories, where do we find instances of manual hygiene? And when were some individuals positively slovenly? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihear...

Bears

“bear in mind” [MUSG]  Image credit: Russell Stutler   Can you think of the instances when bears are mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes stories? We'll give you a minute.   No? There are four specific mentions, but blink and you'll miss them. We cover them in this episode, along with exploring just why there are no bears in the United Kingdom. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on th...

By Jove!

“By Jove, Watson; I’ve got it!” [CHAS]    Last month, we contemplated the significance of the exclamation "By George!" So this month, we give ourselves over the gods as we explore "By Jove!"   What's the significance of a Jovian exclamation, what's the connection to being jovial, and who is described as such in the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the ...

Dr. Watson's Secret

“This terrible secret” [FIVE]    Dr. Watson was a master of inconsistencies. Or perhaps sloppiness. Or, according to Christopher Morley, intentional obfuscation. With a little chronological detective work, he may have figured it out.   Just what was Watson's secret, and why was he keeping it? He did it so well that not only did he keep it from his readers, but from Sherlock Holmes himself. It's the lastest Masters Class and it's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifl...

Pencils

“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 the stories.   And from the very first story, Watson picks up a pencil to jot some notes. Where else do we find pencils, and how do they play into the importance of some of the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on th...

Thanks!

Tigers

“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 foreign curiosity for Victorians, being native to Asia – from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia to Sumatra (yes, that Sumatra).   While tigers in the Sherlock Holmes stories are few and far between, they're certainly mentioned. In what context? And where exactly? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a...

By George!

“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 Sherlock Holmes stories, naturally.   We found "by George" in 10 stories. Which ones were they? Who utters it? And what does it mean? Take the quiz along with us. It's just a Trifle.     If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some S...

The Dental Holmes

“a set of excellent teeth” [RESI]       Around these parts, we've surveyed the implications of teeth, teeth marks and other clues for the purpose of investigation and detection (listen to Episode 206), but we never looked comprehensively at teeth.   In this episode, our discussion ranges from Oscar Wilde's choppers to the history of unfair stereotypes, to pondering how one can tell the cut from a tooth from the cut of a dull knife, and more. It's just a Trifle.     If you h...

Lions

“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 Sherlock Holmes stories. Langur, mongoose, baboon, jellyfish, worms — a menagerie, for sure. The full playlist is in our links.    But we missed lions. Given our recent episode focusing on the terrible tragedy in "The Veiled Lodger," it made us realize there are more lions than just Sahara King in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.     If yo...

The Ripper and the Crown

“He thought the tutor” [3STU]   The final installment in our Masters Class series featuring the work of Michael Harrison takes us into the world of Jack the Ripper via The World of Sherlock Holmes. Ripperologists have racked their brains for a century and a half with respect to the identity of Jack the Ripper.    Even more puzzling is why Sherlock Holmes never got involved in the case. Or, as Harrison surmised, never seemed to get involved. It involves a connection with the British ...

Terrible Human Tragedies

“the most terrible human tragedies” [VEIL]   Having inadvertently left "The Veiled Lodger" out of our discussion about suicide in Episode 349, we put more focus on it in this episode. The introduction identifies it as "one of the most terrible human tragedies."    Is it a tragedy in the classical sense, involving a fall from greatness that evokes pity and terror, or is it merely a sad story? And aren't most of Holmes's cases tragedies in the looser sense? What are some other tragic ...

Suicides in the Sherlock Holmes Stories

“I only breathe it among ourselves—a suicide” [GOLD]   LISTENER ADVISORY: This episode contains mentions of suicide, which some listeners may find disturbing.   September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and as part of our series on monthly observances, we take a look at suicides in the Canon.   Sherlock Holmes was never called in to investigate a suicide, but he encountered a few, along with a number of instances when suicide was attempted, assumed, and ruled out.    Sui...

Dueling Topics: The Real Birlstone Manor

“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 trying to determine the locations for some of the stories. In the case of The Valley of Fear, one of these identifications was made early on by Harold Wilmerding (H.W.) Bell.   But his commitment to the Canon would be dashed a decade and a half later by a serendipitous discovery from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, plus some intrepid f...

The Poetic Hound

“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, mystery, and the supernatural. A fine example of Conan Doyle's ability to tell a good story. Trevor Raymond, BSI, M. Bt.  thought it even lent itself to poetry.    We share two of his versions of The Hound in poetic form — as if written by two famous poets — plus discuss the likely sense of the public's reaction when Holmes was off the scene for...

Why Didn't I Check Montague Street?

“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 Harrison essay: this time, we wander the streets of London.   Michael's examination of Sherlock Holmes's rooms when he first came down to London is as workmanlike as it is eye-opening. And it's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send ...

Animal Abuse

“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. Unfortunately, there are numerous occasions when animals are made to suffer at the hands of humans in the Sherlock Holmes stories.   Who are the animals in question and what nefarious purposes did their sad fates serve? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you u...

Conan Doyle and Cars

“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. Only a handful extended beyond 1900, and only one mentioned automobiles.   However, that's not to say that Conan Doyle wasn't intensely interested in the newfangled machinery, In fact, he wrote two stories that featured cars and even had a few harrowing experiences of his own. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles e...

Canonical Sevens

“called me in seven times” [ABBE]    There's something magical about the number seven. Whether or not it appears more than other numbers in the Sherlock Holmes canon is beyond our research capabilities.   However, there are some interesting and memorable associations with the number seven that we thought worth noting, thanks to a clever identification by Ruth Buchholtz in "Seventy-Seven Canonical Sevens" (BSJ, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1958). It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion fo...

221B, Baker Street

“this evening at 221B, Baker Street” [BLUE]  Image credit: Russell Stutler   It's time once again for the Masters Class, the episode each month in which we look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship and discuss its merits.   This is our first of three forays into the work of Michael Harrison as found in his book In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes. His unique perch between generations in London is the perfect view to understand what 221B Baker Street was like. It's just a T...

A Few Quick Ones

“this quick succession of strange surprises” [SIGN]    There are some trifles that are too trifling to stand on their own. Then again, Burt and Scott tend to have the ability to stretch out any bit of minutiae into an exposition.   Three topics came to our attention lately, and we felt they were deserving of a quick discussion: the seven schemes in "The Missing Three-Quarter," the size of the dog in "The Lion's Mane," and a questionable denial in "The Red-Headed League." Taken togethe...

Dining with Sherlock Holmes

Boscombe Valley Oddities

“What do you say, dear?” [BOSC]    One of the earlier cases in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" is filled with wonderful scenes and phrases that carry us through the entire Sherlock Holmes canon.   It doesn't get the same level of attention as some of the other stories from that collection, but there's a series of items that are oddities — even Trifles.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If ...

Up From the Needle

“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," as featured in Vol. 2, No. 1 (1947) of The Baker Street Journal.    Edgar takes us away from the canard of Sherlock Holmes as a drug addict and gives us an oenophile's assessment of Sherlock Holmes as a wine fancier. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you u...

Business at the Cedars

“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 little thought to the logic behind it. We simply trust him.   But when it comes to "The Man with the Twisted Lip," it seemed a little odd that he had to stay out at Neville St. Clair's home, seven miles from the heart of London. What was going on there? It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trif...

Dairy Go Round

“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 comestibles. Well, this isn't a podcast to be trifled with, so we're headed to the dairy.   We look at instances of milk and butter in the Sherlock Holmes stories while investigating the trouble with the dairy industry in Victorian England. It's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlo...

Alcoholism

“Is alcohol permitted?” [MAZA]      We've explored a number of angles around alcohol in the Sherlock Holmes stories, but it recently struck us that there are glimpses of alcoholism in the Canon. Victorians were no different in their struggles with alcohol, although the disease wasn't recognized as one at the time. Where in the stories can we find evidence or mentions of alcoholics? Why did Holmes ask Watson for permission to drink? And who drank like a fish? It's just a Trifle.   I...

The Great Hiatus

“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. 3 of The Baker Street Journal from 1946, Smith wonders about Sherlock Holmes's travels between 1891 and 1894.   More specifically, he compares global events and geographical and cultural realities to Holmes's story, and something isn't quite right. Where does Smith place Sherlock Holmes for two of those years during the hiatus? It's just a Trifle...

The Magic Number

“We have touched on three” [TWIS]    Since this is Episode 333 and since there are three stories in the Canon that incorporate the number three in their titles, we thought it was time to turn our attention to the "magic number," as three is known.   Why that number of students, gables, and Garridebs? What's the significance of the number three that it should occupy such a prominent role in the story titles? What other appearances of the number are worth noting? It's just a Trifle.   ...

Police Precautions

“Why not take police precautions against him?” [FINA]      When reading "The Final Problem," it's difficult not to be caught off-guard. After all, it opens with Watson telling us these are the last words he'll write about Sherlock Holmes.   But when we step back and look at the story with sober eyes, we realize that the police story Holmes tells Watson just doesn't add up. And it's just a Trifle.   If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofs...