“Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, drew out a small case-book” [SPEC]  The first week of the month means it's a "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist"-themed episode, featuring an old piece of scholarship that investigates some trifling issue.   In this episode, we look at an early piece that Martin Dakin wrote for The Sherlock Holmes Journal, questioning the authenticity of some of the stories in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. Which made the passing grade? It's just a Trifle.   Don't forget: all of our Patreon supporters are eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles275 Thank you to our sponsor, the BSI Press.   Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

“grazing the top of the oak” [MUSG]   I think that I shall never see... a Sherlock Holmes story as lovely as a tree. However, there are plenty of instances of trees in the Canon that make for interesting observation, if only we stop to look at them through the forest.   Inspired by one of Don Jewell's books, we spend some time investigating the instances of oaks and elms in the stories (far more than just "The Musgrave Ritual," we assure you) and comment on the state of these trees in Victorian times.   Are you the winner of our monthly drawing (for a free back issue of the Baker Street Journal) and our quarterly drawing (for a free annual subscription to the BSJ)? All Patreon supporters are eligible.   Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles274 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal.   Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

“a look of grief and despair” [BERY] Let's face it: when clients arrived to consult Sherlock Holmes, they were rarely in positive spirits. Some were confused, others were concerned, and some were just looking for answers.   But some were grief-stricken. Or had cases that ended in grief. It's a sad admission of reality, but there is a strain of grief that starts at the beginning of the stories and continues to the final entry. It's just a Trifle.   Reminder: in the next episode we'll be holding both our monthly drawing (for a free back issue of the Baker Street Journal) and our quarterly drawing (for a free annual subscription to the BSJ). All Patreon supporters are eligible.   Full show notes:  https://ihose.co/trifles273 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press.   Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"I want that yellow diamond!” [MAZA]

The Masters Class series continues, and this time, Peter Blau instructs us on some finer points of geology and of geopolitical history. 

"The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" featured a yellow diamond, and yet, the Crown Jewels don't contain a diamond of that color. So what was the gem and where did it originate? It's just a Trifle.  

Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles272

Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal

“the air of London is the sweeter for my presence” [FINA]

We're back with the third and final installment in our series On the Scent with Sherlock Holmes, as we investigate the olfactory elements of the city.

This time, it's a matter of "obnoxious organic waste," and that encompasses pretty much what you think it does. And then some. We might call it just a Trifle.

And you don't want to miss the sound clip at the end.

 

Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles271

“this extraordinary league” [REDH]   For fans of sportsball, the concept of fantasy leagues might seem like a modern invention. A late-20th century pastime of creating the ideal lineup of teammates for competition. But what if you could do that with literary characters?   The first week of the month means it's time to look back at a piece of old scholarship, and in this case we've chosen Henry D. Scott's "Missing Three-Quarter One-Third Discovered" in The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, (OS) 1947, in which he did just that. It's just a Trifle.   And be sure to listen to the entire episode, as we have a challenge for Trifles listeners.   Special note: we have a bonus clip for our Patreon supporters.     Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles270 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press.   Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"Would you care to try it?" [SCAN] It's the sixth season of Trifles and we realized we hadn't covered a central yet sensitive topic related to Sherlock Holmes: cocaine.   Thanks to a helpful article from a listener, we decided to delve into the history of medicinal cocaine and Victorian England's attitude toward it. It's just a Trifle.   Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles269 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/trifles

“the source of these outrages is known” [VEIL]   The Masters Class series continues, and this time, we delve into the active mind of Nicholas Utechin, who presents a well-reasoned and well-researched explanation for what happened in one of the unpublished cases.   We find ourselves focusing on the opening paragraph of "The Veiled Lodger," which took place in 1896 but was published in early 1927. Somewhere between those dates lies the truth, and it may be more than just a Trifle.   Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles268 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal.

“dropping from branch to branch” [CREE]    The London in which Sherlock Holmes lived gave off its own scents. Whether the roads were paved or covered in mud, they would have played into Holmes's identifications.   And the transportation, whether mechanical or animal, was also part of this potpourri of aromas. The reality is that the city's smells, as pungent as they may have been, were for many people of the time, just a Trifle.

 

Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles267

Support Trifles: https://patreon.com/trifles

Sponsor: The Baker Street Journal