Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

“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. If this works well, we'll do it again. It's just 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles231 "John Barrington Cowles" by Arthur Conan Doyle Schlock Holmes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga by Robert L. Fish I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 181: The Daily Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes quotes) The full I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere archive: ihose.co/ihoseshows   Sponsor

“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 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles230  Scott's presentation to the Sherlockians of Baltimore (YouTube)   Sponsor The BSI 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 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 really be trained? It's the third week of the month, and that means we discuss exotic animals in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or  PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles229 Stunning images of Chinese fishermen using cormorants to catch fish (The Atlantic) More photos of cormorants catching fish (Arkin Space) Not mentioned in the episode, but The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Radio 4 featured this untold tale.    Sponsor The BSJ   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher In

“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: ihose.co/trifles228 What Did Victorians Make of Spectacles? (Wellcome Library Blog via Wayback Machine) Arthur Conan Doyle's medical career (Wikipedia) "The Bespectacled Band" (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Trifles Episode 46 - A History of Pince-Nez   Sponsor The eBSJ   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

“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 duped the messengers. It's just a Trifle.    Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles227   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 Attribut

“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 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/trifles226   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   --    

"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: patreon.com/trifles   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles225 Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"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. Thanks to a suggestion from Erik Deckers, we're examining the criminality of Sherlock Holmes. It's just a Trifle.   And please consider supporting our efforts through  Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles224   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      

“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 / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles223 Did Victorians Really Get Brain Fever? (JSTOR Daily) Reference: "Brain Fever" by Stephen Tolins, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1991) Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine, and the Sherlockian Canon (BSI Press)   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --    

“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: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles221b The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett   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 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 book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes to it. To celebrate our 221st episode, Scott and Burt read "No. 221B Baker Street" from the book. It's just a Trifle.       Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles221 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett   Sponsor The Baker St

“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 just a Trifle.       Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles220 Mongoose (Wikipedia)   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“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 listen to podcasts:   Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles219 The Dynamics of an Asteroid The binomial theorem Previous episodes: Episode 211: The Three Professors   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United State

“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 Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts:  Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles218 Buffet (Wikipedia) Richard Doyle's depiction of a station buffet Previous food-related episodes: Episode 163 - Vegetarian Restaurants Episode 158 - British Food Episode 104 - Sherlock Holmes's Dining Habits Episode 42 - A Noble Supper Episode 3 - Simps

 “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 Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts:  Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles217 Episode 10: The Dressing Gown of Many Colors   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 Attri

 “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 Trifle.     Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles216 Pets Peeved (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Cheetah (Wikipedia) Victorian London: The London Zoo (Victorian Voices) Baboon (Wikipedia) How to Survive an Encounter with a Baboon (LiveAbout)   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Unc

“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 in the Canon? It's just a Trifle.         Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles215 The History of Walking Canes James Smith & Sons Penang lawyer (Language Hat)   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher I

“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 Sherlock Holmes stories, and they all help Sherlock Holmes in some way. Which way is that, you ask? It's just a Trifle.         Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles214 Soundcloud playlist: Appearance and Attire A Quick Succession of Subjects by Chris Redmond   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal

“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. And it's just a Trifle.         Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles213 Colonel James Moriarty (Baker Street Fandom) "Moriarty Times Three" (Walter Jaffee, The Baker Street Journal Vol. 57, No. 2, 2007)   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist,

 “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 peculiar choice, but then again, it's just a Trifle.       Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: 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.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles212 Gray langur (Wikipedia) The Medical Casebook of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle by Alvin Rodin and Jack Key (Amazon) Monkey Gland Cocktail (Spruce Eats)   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Musi