"my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid" [REDH] One of the greatest features of the Sherlock Holmes stories is seeing the master ply his trade. That is, watching Holmes when he dazzles Watson (and us!) with his brilliance. In the first two novels plus The Adventures and The Memoirs, we have some delicious examples of Holmes at his finest. It is just a Trifle. And be sure to tune in to hear if you, Patreon supporter, won some back issues of the Baker Street Journal. We hold this drawing exclusively for our supporters every month. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles282 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"a remarkable cow" [PRIO]

The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years. In this episode, we turn to an award-winning article in The Baker Street Journal. S. Tupper Bigelow pondered the patterns of hoof-marks as laid out in various editions of the Canon, and won the Morley-Montgomery Award in 1962 for it. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles281 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"A touch! A distinct touch!" [VALL]

Every author owes something to Shakespeare. His inventiveness with language has withstood the test of time, and many of the phrases he originated or popularized are still in use today.

We find Shakespeare's words dotted throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories, well beyond the usual quotes. A number of Shakespearean phrases are allusions in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.

Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles280 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"As to your dates, that is the biggest mystification of all." [CREE] This is another instance of the new product we're calling "I Can't Believe We Didn't Talk About This Already." An early instance of Sherlockian scholarship and commentary, in 1934 Dorothy L. Sayers wrote "The Dates in the Red-Headed League," picking up where H.W. Bell's 1932 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Chronology of Their Adventures left off. It's a fine example of using data at hand and being creative, and it's part of our series covering old Sherlockian scholarship. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles279 Thank you to our sponsor, the BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"Drive like the devil" [SCAN] Call this the case of the overlooked fact. And one that was staring us in the face, too. It concerns the marriage of Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton in "A Scandal in Bohemia." A listener wrote in and asked us just why Irene Adler had to get married in such a rush. We did a little digging, found some material to discuss, and put our own thoughts into it. It's just a Trifle. We're holding the monthly drawing for our Patreon supporters in this episode. Are you the winner? You'll have to tune in to find out. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles278 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"There's not a tree in the park" [EMPT] The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years. In this episode, we look at Nicholas Utechin's masterful piece from the 1972 Baker Street Journal in which he deduced exactly where Colonel Moran was when he shot the Hon. Ronald Adair in "The Empty House." Or was it Moran at all? 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/trifles277 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"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