Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

To readers of the Sherlock Holmes stories in the late Victorian era, Australia was an exotic and dangerous place. …

Sherlock Holmes and tennis — they go together like...like... Well, we're here to tell you that while combining the great …

The beginning of April dependably brings April Fools' Day. And while there weren't outright …

The opening of The Valley of Fear introduced us to a mysterious individual: Porlock, who sent a cryptic note to …

The Irish make scant appearances across the earlier Sherlock Holmes stories, but once we pass The Valley of …

We continue our monthly investigation into Games and Sports in the Sherlock Holmes stories, and in this case, we turn …

“volumes of poetry” [ENGR] 

  When we think of poetry, it's a style of writing that transports us, particularly emotionally, to another plane of …

A look at some of the villains in the Sherlock Holmes stories, beginning with the first real heavy that …

Italians seem to surround us in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Restaurants, music, artisans, and of course …

Sherlock Holmes, boxer? We don't often consider Sherlock Holmes for his boxing abilities, yet …

They pop up here and there around the Canon quite infrequently. However, you can be sure that when a governess …

For well over 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been seen in advertisements around the world. The fact is: …

Sherlock Holmes had a number of encounters with German people. Who were they, and how did these interactions …

If you ask anyone familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories to name a Scotland Yard inspector, …

This marks the first in a semi-regular series on Trifles in which we spend time talking about sports and games …

We begin our third season with a discussion of facial hair in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Specifically, …

The holidays typically bring a bounty of food, followed by solemn pledges to …

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 …

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 …

The Sherlock Holmes canon is a wonderful snapshot of the times. In particular, we get a good …

From the Gramophone to the telephone, November seems to be quite the month of technology …

The arrival of Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable on the doorstep (and hearth rug!) of 221B …

When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't …

When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of …

Sherlock Holmes was a master of disguises. They allowed him to infiltrate areas that would have …

There are a handful of dogs sprinkled throughout the Sherlock Holmes …

The famous year of 1895 holds many wonders. Many of the cases in The Return of Sherlock …

As we glance around the sitting room at 221B Baker Street, the famous lodgings of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, …

"My correspondence certainly has the charm of variety," said Sherlock Holmes in "The Noble Bachelor." He could …

We occasionally hear "Mr. Cocksure" and "jack-in-office" thrown about as epithets in the Sherlock …

Watson occasionally accompanied Sherlock Holmes onto the Continent (i.e., Europe), but there were many …

One of the most off-hand but arresting comments that Sherlock Holmes …

The Sherlock Holmes stories are told from the perspective of a doctor. So it …

John H. Watson, M.D., late of the Army Medical Department, had a number of medical …

We're accustomed to thinking about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson being associated with whiskey and brandy. …

We know what you're thinking: The Sign of Four wasn't an unpublished …

"neat morocco case" [SIGN] 

We all know that Sherlock Holmes used drugs. "A seven-per-cent solution" of cocaine is what he recommended to Watson in …

Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous smoker in the world. But in popular culture, …

Homeless children. A gossip columnist. A dog. What do all of these have in common? They're part of …

We've previously covered the tantalizing cases that Sherlock Holmes pulled out of his tin …

One of the handiest items found at 221B Baker Street has to be the wax bust of Sherlock Holmes. …

"the streaming umbrella" [FIVE] 

London is supposed to be a decidedly rainy place. The place where one might expect to find an umbrella or two …

"the smartest of the Scotland Yarders" [STUD] 

When you think of a Scotland Yard inspector in the Sherlock Holmes stories, odds are your thoughts …

"pulling a large tin box behind him" [MUSG] 

We're accustomed to referring to Watson's famous tin box, held in the vaults of Cox & Co. Inside …

It's June, which is the month of the Queen's birthday. What a perfect time to look at the "patriotic V.R." …

How much money did Sherlock Holmes make from his clients? And when did he begin making money? 

We went back to an early …

Sherlock Holmes was a consultant—or more properly, a consulting detective—but he was a consultant, nonetheless. And …

 "I could easily dispose of the mythical" [SILV]    There are assumptions and myths mentioned throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. Whether …

"the dreadful affair of the Abernetty family" [SIXN] 

Among the published cases, there are a handful that can be identified by a simple reference. …

Sherlock Holmes is possibly the most famous smoker in literature. But more than …

We're coming up on Mother's Day in the United States, and that made us think about parents. We've covered mothers in the Canon discussed alternative parents in previous …

In the 60 tales that comprise the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, we come across a variety …

Among the cases that Watson tantalizingly dangles before us, "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" offers the Matilda Briggs and the giant rat of Sumatra (one of the tales we mentioned …

Along with the deerstalker, Inverness cloak, magnifying glass and curved pipe, Sherlock Holmes is most often …

Sherlock Holmes was a well-known public figure. But he was also a known and sought-after expert …

From the first cricket match in England in 1877 to the wireless mentioned in 1914, there are numerous things …

When Watson glances across his notes and teases us with adventures that he and Sherlock Holmes have …

Step into the sitting room at 221B Baker Street with us again and look around, as we take in the sights, smells and sounds within that most famous of …

In Episode 58, we discussed Sherlock Holmes's index books – those collections in …

John Watson knew women; Holmes tells us so. And Watson certainly tells us so, in his …

In "The Problem of Thor Bridge," Watson treats us to a tantalizing look at the possibilities that lie …

"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. …

"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, …

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 …

"it is surely Hudson" [GLOR] 

One of the most enduring figures of the Canon after Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Mycroft Holmes and Inspector Lestrade …

"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 …

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 …

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 …

"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 …

Peace in the canon. Reading the Sherlock Holmes stories to find peace is something like going to …

"what a chorus of groans, cries and bleatings" [REDC] 

Agony column. Agony column? To the modern reader, that term might be unfamiliar. Well, at …

When Cyril Overton sent a telegram to Sherlock Holmes, proclaiming the status of Godfrey …

"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 …

Family. For many, it's a part of the holiday season. And with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow …

For many of us, the first time we encounter the word "pince-nez" is in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But …

"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 …

"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 …

"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 …

In "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," Lord Robert St. Simon assumed that Holmes was going up in …

The second week of October marks the remembrance of Christopher Columbus in the U.S.. Long thought to be the …

"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 …

"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 …

During the earliest days of the Sherlock Holmes stories, photography was still in its infancy. And yet, we are …

"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 …

"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 …

 "The Greek Interpreter" gives us our first glimpse of Mycroft Holmes, through the meeting with him at the Diogenes …

"The Cardboard Box" opens with an iconic diversion on a hot August day on Baker Street. And while the …

"The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" marks the only time that Watson has been responsible for bringing …

Sidney Paget was the illustrator who first brought widespread visual recognition of Sherlock Holmes to the public. …

"The chain of events is certainly one of extraordinary interest." [NAVA] 

Nepotism, bullying, carelessness and a locked room mystery — "The Naval …

"there can be no question as to the authorship" [SIGN] 

"The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" took place in July 1903 and it shares a distinction …

"among the harpooners my research was nearing its end" [BLAC] 

We have one of the most iconic openings in the Sherlock Holmes stories in "The …

Independence Day is celebrated in the United States on July 4. It marks the date of the signing of the Declaration …

Once again, we have a con man at work, eager to enrich himself. He finds his mark, manages to get him away from the scene where his work needs to happen, and is eventually …

In the early stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson was admittedly new to the bio-docu-drama …

"He had described his household" [WIST] 

We're acutely aware of some of the fathers in the Sherlock Holmes stories, and the dastardly deeds …

In this episode, we look at how married life was treating Dr. Watson in "The Adventure of the Boscombe Valley …

"back to the same establishment" [GOLD] 

The last time we met, we were in the middle of a pub quiz. How were you doing? We're going to pick up where we left off, talking about various public houses, bars, taverns and …

"gone to the nearest public house" [SOLI] 

We owe the entire Canon to Watson's drinking habits. Because he found himself at the Criterion Bar, he …

"His Grace is surprised, Dr. Huxtable" [PRIO]

The opening of "The Adventure of the Priory School" is one of the best in the entirety of the Sherlock …

"by the honour of your mother" [SIGN] 

There's no question that fathers play a significant role in many of the Sherlock Holmes stories. But what …

"have a look at the horse" [SILV] 

One of the best regarded stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon is "Silver Blaze." The story has so many elements to …

"it is with a heavy heart" [FINA] 

"The Final Problem" is a shocking tale, both for contemporaries of the Strand Magazine as well as for first-time …

While there is no explicit mention of Easter in the Sherlock Holmes story, we do have a story arc that follows …

"roused its snakish temper" [SPEC] 

  "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is consistently ranked as one of the most popular Sherlock Holmes stories …

"quarter day is at hand" [WIST] 

There are at least two instances in the Sherlock Holmes stories when we come across a mention of quarter day. Just …

"To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman" [SCAN]

It is the first story in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and it is also the first of what we …

"you could not celebrate him without being known yourself" [HOUN] 

With mid-March upon us, we thought it was high time to investigate some of the …

"He was clad in his dressing gown" [CREE]

You'll find Sherlock Holmes lounging in his dressing gown in no fewer than 14 of the original stories. …

"embrace the true faith" [STUD] 

We see glimpses of religion in a number of stories, from plot devices to red herrings, saintly inferences to clever …

"it is a very sweet little problem" [BERY] 

  One of the more comical openings to a story occurred in "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," in which …

"what's amiss with the names?" [VALL] 

One of the most puzzling passages in the Sherlock Holmes stories is when Mrs. Watson referred to her …

"a puzzled quarter of an hour" [MISS]

The Sherlock Holmes stories are filled with hints of dates, places and people that cause them to be …

Charles Augustus Milverton was considered by Sherlock Holmes to be "the worst man in London." Watson tried to shield the date of the case — not to …

Sir Eustace Brackenstall met with a grisly, if appropriate end in "The Abbey Grange." Ultimately, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson let his killer go …

Dr. Watson tells us that he and Sherlock Holmes visited one London restaurant two times. And while the gustatory habits of the famed Baker Street duo …

The opening lines of A Study in Scarlet are rich with details about Dr. Watson's past. His medical degree, his army service, even his injury. He recalls how he came to London without knowing anyone in the city and …

The new year usually brings resolutions and offers a new beginning. In our new podcast which begins in January 2017, we thought it was the ideal time …