"Now Watson, the fair sex is your department." [SECO] John Watson knew women; Holmes tells us so. And Watson certainly tells us so, in his admiration of Mary Morstan as well as his description of some of the leading ladies of the Canon. He also told us outright in The Sign of Four that he's managed to get around: "In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents..." But three? We know for certain he's been to Europe an Asia. But which of the other five migh...
Feb 28, 2018•16 min•Season 2Ep. 61
"never more seen in this world" [THOR] In "The Problem of Thor Bridge," Watson treats us to a tantalizing look at the possibilities that lie before us as readers: "Somewhere in the vaults of the bank of Cox and Co., at Charing Cross, there is a travelworn and battered tin dispatch-box with my name, John H. Watson, M.D., Late Indian Army, painted upon the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems which Mr. Sherlock Holmes had at va...
Feb 21, 2018•14 min•Season 2Ep. 60
"applying his tape to the walls" [STUD] There's quite a bit we know about the inner sanctum of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at 221B Baker Street. The cozy sitting room with its fireplace and windows at once beckons us in to look around. Upon glancing at the walls, though: what do we see? Is it typical of Victorian bachelor decor? Or is there hidden meaning behind any of the wall hangings? We investigate the trifling matter of the walls of the sitting room at 221B. Have you left us a rating and...
Feb 14, 2018•17 min•Season 2Ep. 59
"Good old index. You can't beat it." [SUSS] Sherlock Holmes had quite the index. We get glimpses of it in use at various times throughout the Canon, from a biographical reference to a logging of crime. Was Holmes's index a single large volume, or many smaller volumes? Was it hardbound or simply an assembly of files? And it never quite seemed like it was organized in a sensible way. How did Holmes manage to call to mind whatever he needed to find in this index? Please leave us a rating or review ...
Feb 07, 2018•21 min•Season 2Ep. 58
"Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee" [NAVA] When it comes to British mysteries, tea is like aqua vitae. It's a given that it's part of the scenery. And of course we do come across tea a number of times in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But have you ever taken a tally of how many times we witness tea being served versus coffee? Or of the therapeutic uses of either? Grab a cup (or a cuppa) and pull up a chair - we're about to have a coffee klatch on Trifles. Or as one entertainer might put ...
Jan 31, 2018•19 min•Season 2Ep. 57
"it is surely Hudson" [GLOR] One of the most enduring figures of the Canon after Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Mycroft Holmes and Inspector Lestrade is Mrs. Hudson. We know a little about her, but how did she happen to become the landlady of 221B Baker Street? And what were the "princely" rent payments that Holmes made? As we make our way across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we do come across one or two other Hudsons as well. What is their relationship to the landlady? These questions await your a...
Jan 24, 2018•13 min•Season 2Ep. 56
"it is a nice household" [SPEC] We've got another recurring feature for you here on Trifles: seeing as there were so many unpublished cases that Watson mentioned, we find that there are plenty of trifles to discuss with regard to those. We're calling this series of episodes Unpublished Cases and we'll regularly revisit the topic. When we glance across a number of such cases that Watson mentioned in stories like "The Sussex Vampire," "The Problem of Thor Bridge," "The Golden Pince-Nez," "Black Pe...
Jan 17, 2018•18 min•Season 2Ep. 55
"upon the sideboard" [BERY] In this episode of Trifles, we're starting what will become a recurring feature over the course of a few episodes: namely, we're looking at some of the things you'll find in Sherlock Holmes's sitting room at 221B Baker Street. We're calling the series Inside 221B. The sideboard makes a number of appearances in the Canon, and serves as a solemn but essential member of the Baker Street set as it features beef and fowl, drinks and related accouterments, and as a resting ...
Jan 10, 2018•14 min•Season 2Ep. 54
"compound a felony as usual." [3GAB] Welcome to Season 2 of Trifles. We'll be working through some of the questions we ask in our show introductions this season, including a number of recurring themes. We hope you'll subscribe. In Episode 48 ("Gotcha!") we discussed times when Sherlock Holmes caught his criminal red-handed, dead to rights. But what about the times that he caught criminals but let them go? Was it solely his strong sense of right and wrong that caused Holmes to allow them to go fr...
Jan 03, 2018•19 min•Season 2Ep. 53
"compliments of the season" [BLUE] "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" is one of the more well-known stories in the Canon. And yet we're presented with a few trifling issues, including the color of the gem. But beyond that, we have a victim and perpetrators who didn't seem to have thought through things to their logical conclusion. How else can we factor in the use of poultry as a hiding place? And animal anatomy lessons indicate that that place didn't even exist... Have you left us a rating a...
Dec 27, 2017•18 min•Season 1Ep. 52
"there was peace in our hearts" [SIGN] Peace in the canon. Reading the Sherlock Holmes stories to find peace is something like going to Casablanca for the water. "But there are no waters in Casablanca." "I was misinformed." Regardless, during this season of peace, we reflect on moments — even if they're glimpses — of bucolic, peaceful moments we find scattered throughout the Sherlock Holmes canon. They're there, if you look for them — trifling as they may be. Have you left us a rating and review...
Dec 20, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 51
"what a chorus of groans, cries and bleatings" [REDC] Agony column. Agony column? To the modern reader, that term might be unfamiliar. Well, at least it would be unfamiliar with the reader who is new to the Sherlock Holmes stories. The first time we come across Holmes using the agony column is in The Sign of Four when he advertised for the Aurora in the agony column of the Standard . Holmes regularly used newspaper classified ads and personal columns to track down criminals and surface clues. Bu...
Dec 13, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 50
"You have a grand gift of silence, Watson" [TWIS] When Cyril Overton sent a telegram to Sherlock Holmes, proclaiming the status of Godfrey Staunton, it was met with puzzlement. And even after Overton arrived at Baker Street, Holmes was still puzzled. We know that he had his "limits," based on Watson's famous list from A Study in Scarlet . But Watson sat in silence as Holmes twisted in the wind, his ignorance of popular rugby laid bare. Why was this? Was it for the sake of his readers, or did Wat...
Dec 06, 2017•19 min
"you have been caught in the act" [BERY] One of the general bits of enjoyment of the Sherlock Holmes stories is the denouement in which Sherlock Holmes apprehends the criminal. In some instances, he does so after the crime has been committed; in other instances, no crime has been committed. But what about those delicious times when the criminals are caught in the act? Or even better, those instances when they greeted with sweet, swift justice. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and re...
Nov 29, 2017•18 min•Season 1Ep. 48
"to mar the contentment of their family life" [VALL] Family. For many, it's a part of the holiday season. And with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow in the United States, it's a perfect opportunity to reflect on families in the Sherlock Holmes stories. And in doing so, we come to a rather sad conclusion: that many of the families in the Canon were not happy ones at all. Just what was it about these familial situations that caused things to go awry? We explore that question in this episode of Trifl...
Nov 22, 2017•20 min•Season 1Ep. 47
"observing the dint of a pince-nez" [IDEN] For many of us, the first time we encounter the word "pince-nez" is in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But for many of us, we very likely saw pince-nez on characters in movies, cartoons or the theater before we knew exactly what they were called. Mentioned in three separate stories (do you know which three?), the eyewear is most closely associated with the adventure that contains its name. But what about the history of these peculiar glasses? We explore th...
Nov 15, 2017•17 min•Season 1Ep. 46
"his military challenge" [STUD] November 11 marks Veterans Day in the United States, when we honor our men and women who have served in the military. From the very first Sherlock Holmes story, we're exposed to the military: A Study in Scarlet opens with "(Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., late of the Army Medical Department.)" And from there, we find other members of the military who make questionable decisions in their lives. We explore some of the more notable cas...
Nov 08, 2017•25 min•Season 1Ep. 45
"The world is big enough for us." [SUSS] With Halloween just behind us, it's natural to reflect on the supernatural. The Hound of the Baskervilles and "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" loom large in our consciousness as stories whose central premise was focused on spectral occurrences. But what of other references? And of the most curious case of all: Arthur Conan Doyle's belief in otherworldly things (such as spiritualism) juxtaposed with his most famous creation, who was steeped in facts a...
Nov 01, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 44
"Why do you not write them yourself?" [ABBE] Aside from the untold tales which are hinted at occasionally by Watson, the most intriguing writings in the Canon are those penned by Sherlock Holmes himself. We of course refer to his famous monographs. In his earliest published cases, Holmes himself admits "in fact, I have written a monograph on the subject" [STUD] and "I have been guilty of several monographs" [SIGN], seemingly qualifying himself in the good doctor's (and our) eyes. How many monogr...
Oct 25, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 43
"a quite epicurean little cold supper" [NOBL] In "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," Lord Robert St. Simon assumed that Holmes was going up in the world by taking him on as a client; Holmes replied that he was actually descending, as his previous client was something of a king. But it was still a royal feast set out at 221B Baker Street for Lord Robert and the assembled guests. Just what was in that supper for five, and what did it say about Holmes and his guests? Have you left us a rating an...
Oct 18, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 42
"several successful voyages" [BLAC] The second week of October marks the remembrance of Christopher Columbus in the U.S.. Long thought to be the individual who "discovered" America, we've come to understand that claim to be overblown and his tendencies less than flawless. Still, he was a brave voyager. What about some of the great voyages we know that took place in the Sherlock Holmes stories? From traversing the Atlantic and Indian oceans to travel to the deepest regions of Africa, we find ours...
Oct 11, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 41
"Sarasate plays at St. James's Hall this afternoon" [REDH] We know Sherlock Holmes enjoyed music. From his own violin playing to a few mentions of concerts he attended, he often escaped from the woes of the world and the problems he was trying to solve through music. In "The Adventure of the Red Headed League," he says "Sarasate plays at St. James's Hall this afternoon," and he and Watson make their way to the concert, where Holmes clearly enjoyed himself, "wrapped in the most perfect happiness,...
Oct 04, 2017•21 min
"this terrible secret society" [FIVE] The Ku Klux Klan famously plays a role in "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips." To British audiences, the 'K.K.K.' note would have seemed mysterious - something along the lines of a Dancing Men code. But to American audiences, it was a known entity. The KKK was a secret society founded in the southern United States following the Civil War, which committed many outrages. But the KKK as portrayed in this particular Sherlock Holmes story: was it true to life...
Sep 27, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 39
"fondness for photography" [REDH] During the earliest days of the Sherlock Holmes stories, photography was still in its infancy. And yet, we are greeted with a number of instances in which photography plays a central or partial role in the plot. Who were the Canonical photographers and why did they pursue this hobby? And how did photographs play into Sherlock Holmes's ability to solve crimes? We also have a follow-up item from Episode 37 , thanks to some listener feedback. Please leave us a rati...
Sep 20, 2017•18 min
"I have no idea what he intends to go in for" [STUD] It's our Back to School Blowout Sale! Okay, not really. But since it's September and class is in session, we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about Sherlock Holmes's school days. In his student days, Holmes said that he considered his habit of observation and deduction to be "the merest hobby." What subjects was he studying at college? What profession did he propose to follow before detective work lured him away? Wouldn't he have c...
Sep 13, 2017•14 min•Season 1Ep. 37
"I was already in debt to my tradesmen" [COPP] With Labor Day just behind us, what do we find in the Sherlock Holmes stories in the ways of the working class? Holmes said that the public could hardly tell "a weaver by his tooth or a compositor by his left thumb," [COPP] as two examples of the working class. Certainly, Sherlock Holmes himself took on the guise of workers, such as "a drunken-looking groom" [SCAN] and "a plumber with a rising business." [MILV] And the Molly Maguires played a role i...
Sep 06, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 36
"a Greek by extraction" [GREE] "The Greek Interpreter" gives us our first glimpse of Mycroft Holmes, through the meeting with him at the Diogenes Club. But it's the introduction of the peculiar Mr. Melas, the Greek interpreter, that sets things in motion. When you think about all of the activity in this case, couldn't we argue that Melas was really the hero of this story? Or was it Holmes, with his deductions and bravery? Or was it Paul Kratides, who endured torture in order to protect his siste...
Aug 30, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 35
"the matter is more mysterious" [CARD] "The Cardboard Box" opens with an iconic diversion on a hot August day on Baker Street. And while the story was published in The Strand Magazine just following "Silver Blaze" and just prior to "The Yellow Face." And yet when the second collection of short stories was published in book form as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes in 1894, "The Cardboard Box" did not appear (at least in British editions) until it was included the collection of short stories titled ...
Aug 23, 2017•13 min•Season 1Ep. 34
"Very well thumbed, I assure you" [HOUN] "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" marks the only time that Watson has been responsible for bringing a case to Sherlock Holmes. Go ahead and look it up. We'll wait. Meanwhile, the few engineers we meet in the Canon are of varied types. But Bliss Austin, BSI, in his masterful magnum opus "Thumbing His Way to Fame," from the Baker Street Journal Vol. 1, No. 4 (Old Series) draws out one or two scientific details that seemed to have escaped Holmes but th...
Aug 16, 2017•15 min•Season 1Ep. 33
"you will find your time very fully occupied" [NORW] In the opening of "The Norwood Builder," we find Watson back in Baker Street—he sold his practice and has moved back in with Sherlock Holmes. And we discover that it was Sherlock Holmes who made the financial arrangements that made it possible for Dr. Verner to purchase Watson's practice. What's going on here? Did Holmes tacitly indicate that he missed Watson and wanted his flatmate back? Was there a practical side to the partnership as well? ...
Aug 09, 2017•16 min•Season 1Ep. 32
