Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

“a straight left against a slogging ruffian” [SOLI]  Sherlock Holmes, boxer? We don't often consider Sherlock Holmes for his boxing abilities, yet Watson very clearly noted his talent in that field in the very first story. But Holmes wasn't the only boxer in the Canon. We repeatedly see mentions of the sport made official by the Marquess of Queensbury, as both tangential mentions and more central parts of the stories. But we'll try to keep this discussion of boxers brief. After all, it is a Trifle...   Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, and RadioPublic. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles111 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist

“glancing at the governess” [WIST]    They pop up here and there around the Canon quite infrequently. However, you can be sure that when a governess is featured in a Sherlock Holmes story, she's part of the plot. What was this profession, and what did the ladies in these roles do? What was their station in life? We explore these questions, which shed light on why they might have found themselves in sticky situations from time to time in this episode of Trifles. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and RadioPublic.And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles110 RadioPublic   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:

“Look at this advertisement” [STUD]    For well over 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been seen in advertisements around the world. The fact is: Sherlock Holmes sells. He's good for brands.   There are a number of instances of brands that were mentioned within the Sherlock Holmes stories themselves. What are they? Well, we enumerate them, plus provide a few "what-ifs" ourselves in this episode of Trifles.     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles109 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“Who were these German people” [ENGR]  Sherlock Holmes had a number of encounters with German people. Who were they, and how did these interactions reflect on international relations at the time?  This is the first in a new series on Trifles focusing on international elements of the Sherlock Holmes stories.  Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles108 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“the smartest of the Scotland Yarders” [SIGN]    If you ask anyone familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories to name a Scotland Yard inspector, they'll invariably answer, "Inspector Lestrade."   But Sherlock Holmes had a healthy respect for a handful of other police inspectors, both from Scotland Yard and from the surrounding areas. Who were they, and in which stories did they appear?       Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles107 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“to play games of that sort” [REIG]    This marks the first in a semi-regular series on Trifles in which we spend time talking about sports and games in the Sherlock Holmes stories.   In this episode, we look specifically at board games that were mentioned in the Canon and discuss their history and origins.    Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles106 Backgammon Draughts / Checkers Chess The Mansion of Happiness The Checkered Game of Life The Game of the District Messenger Boy Progress and Play: Board Games and the Meaning of History RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“the tall, black-bearded figure” [HOUN]    We begin our third season with a discussion of facial hair in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Specifically, beards. That's right, hipsters: you've got company. Very, very old company.   Interestingly, we found that many of the more famous bearded characters in the stories shared a similar character trait. Just what was it? It's just a trifle, but you'll have to tune in to find out.   Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles105 E.J. Wagner in I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: Episode 159 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“he had invariably breakfasted and gone out before I rose” [STUD]    The holidays typically bring a bounty of food, followed by solemn pledges to exercise and take better care of ourselves in the new year.   What do we know about Sherlock Holmes and his eating habits? He was thin, but did that mean he didn't have an appreciation for food? From fast food to fine dining, Sherlock Holmes displayed a wide range of culinary appreciation. And it's our topic for the final episode of Trifles for 2018.   Do you have any special requests for 2019? Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss in the coming year.      Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles104 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US

“if it turns red, it means a man's life” [NAVA]    We often fixate on the famous cases like the Giant Rat of Sumatra, James Phillimore and his umbrella, or Wilson, the notorious canary trainer. But there are times when some trifling detail escapes our notice.   In this, the final episode of our Unpublished Cases series, we look at the tiniest bit of detail around a chemistry experiment that had to do with a man's life in the balance...   And we need your help for 2019! Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss.     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles103 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band

“he slipped down upon the floor” [PRIO]  It's not often that we have our eyes cast downward at 221B Baker Street. There are so many interesting things to see at eye-level: the Persian slipper, the chemistry set, the patriotic 'VR' on the wall. But there were floor coverings in the famous flat.    In this, the final episode of our Inside 221B series, we look at what was on the floor and the care that must have gone into them. They are just a Trifle...   And we need your help for 2019! Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss.     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles102 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Mar

“In the morning you will send for a hansom” [FINA]  The Sherlock Holmes canon is a wonderful snapshot of the times. In particular, we get a good sense of the kinds of transportation that conveyed citizens around London and its environs.   The hansom cab is probably the most well-known, but there are a number of other types of horse-drawn vehicles that we find in the stories. What are they? Well, it's just a Trifle.     And we need your help for 2019! Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss.   Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles101 RadioPublic Hansom cab Four-wheeler / Clarence Transport and Carriages in the Victorian Era   Sponsor The Baker Street Irregulars Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra

“Did you tell him of our telephone appointment?” [3GAR]  From the Gramophone to the telephone, November seems to be quite the month of technology here on Trifles.   Yes, even though Holmes did most of his work in the late 19th century, there were opportunities to use the newfangled voice-to-voice communications device known as the telephone. We explore just when and where, as well as certain supporting clues.    And we need your help for 2019! Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss.     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.      Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles100 RadioPublic   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“I am retained in this case of the Ferrers Documents” [PRIO]    The arrival of Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable on the doorstep (and hearth rug!) of 221B Baker Street was dramatic. He collapsed like a beached whale, and Sherlock Holmes was able to infer a great deal about the reason for his visit.   And yet, Holmes gave an excuse for potentially turning down the case: he was involved with the Ferrers Documents. We're not told what that is, but we think it may just be a Trifle...     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or  PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles99 RadioPublic Les Klinger on Episode 155 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies and Copies by Peter Ridgway Watt and Joseph Green   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinis

“modern gramophones are a remarkable invention” [MAZA]                    When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales are just not suitable for little ears, after all.   But there were key instances in which children played a vital role in the plot or moving the action forward. We explore some of those, as well as the warning signs that you might want to spend a little more (or less) time with the young ones. It is just a Trifle...    Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles98 RadioPublic Trifles Episode 80   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Crea

“Children, my dear boy, children.” [GREE]      When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales are just not suitable for little ears, after all.    But there were key instances in which children played a vital role in the plot or moving the action forward. We explore some of those, as well as the warning signs that you might want to spend a little more (or less) time with the young ones. It is just a Trifle...      Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles97 RadioPublic The Four Stages of Cruelty - William Hogarth   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative

"Disguised, and under an assumed name" [STUD]    Sherlock Holmes was a master of disguises. They allowed him to infiltrate areas that would have otherwise been off-limits or situations in which he would have been discovered.   What were some of the incarnations he undertook? Can you remember the four named aliases he assumed? It is just a Trifle...   Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles96 RadioPublic   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"a small monograph upon the uses of dogs in the work of the detective" [CREE]    There are a handful of dogs sprinkled throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. And while a few of them are used in a traditional police-tracking way, the great detective found other uses for them.    Whether friendly, hostile, or just plain silent, dogs were vital to helping Sherlock Holmes solve some of his cases. It's just a Trifle...    Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.   And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles95 RadioPublic The Cynological Mr. Holmes: Conanical Canines Considered: Dog-Lore and Dog-Love in the Sherlockian Saga by Michael Harrison   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"the peculiar persecution of John Vincent Harden" [SOLI]    The famous year of 1895 holds many wonders. Many of the cases in The Return of Sherlock Holmes took place in this year, and as you would imagine, many of the untold tales are mentioned during that timeframe.   And it would seem that if one has three names — John Hector McFarlane, John Scott Eccles, or in this case John Vincent Harden — there's some dirty work afoot. How is it that a tobacco millionaire can come to be persecuted in a peculiar way? It's just a Trifle...     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles93 RadioPublic Sherlock Holmes: The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden by Dan Andriacco I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 141: Baker Street Beat   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US M

"Pray take a seat" [MAZA]    As we glance around the sitting room at 221B Baker Street, the famous lodgings of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, there's no lack of seating. In fact, one might have the pick of any number of seating styles.    From armchair to basket chair, settees to sofas, we explore the seating arrangements found in Sherlock Holmes's flat. We discuss who sat where and when, and how one particular chair gave away a criminal. These are just Trifles...      Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? Every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles93 Wessex Press RadioPublic Archie and Edith Bunker's chairs at the American History Museum Christopher Morley: Minty's Varsity Chair I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 153: The Rooms at 221B Baker Street   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, D

"he could send some telegrams" [PRIO]  "My correspondence certainly has the charm of variety," said Sherlock Holmes in "The Noble Bachelor." He could have been easily referring to the medium as well as the message. For Holmes was an inveterate sender and receiver of telegrams. What was the messaging industry like in those days? And why did Holmes have Watson read his correspondence to him from time to time? That's what we explore in this episode of Trifles.      Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles92   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0