Sherlock Holmes: Trifles cover art

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

By: Scott Monty & Burt Wolder
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About this listen

 You know the plots, but what about the minutiae? We delve into the Sherlock Holmes stories and provide answers to questions that arise, clarify muddy details, and look into some of the period terminology in this weekly podcast. Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Untangling the Skein

    Untangling the Skein
    Jul 16 2025

    “another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein” [HOUN]

    It has long been accepted that the original title of A Study in Scarlet was meant to be A Tangled Skein. While there is no surviving manuscript of the first Sherlock Holmes story, a single page of notes has long served as Sherlock Holmes's "birth certificate."

    However, Matt Hall discovered a letter in Sydney, Australia that proves otherwise. His research is presented in Vol. 37 No. 2 of The Sherlock Holmes Journal. And it's much more than just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • The Sherlock Holmes Journal
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
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    29 mins
  • £100

    £100
    Jul 9 2025

    “put £100 down in front of him” [BLUE]

    Humans are suckers for round numbers. And 100 seems like a perfectly reasonable one to settle on. It's the first three-digit number (in Arabic numbers, that is; Romans were happy to hit a C note).

    When it comes to £100 in the Sherlock Holmes stories, it's a figure often associated with some sort of scam — enough to get attention and secure the trust of the mark. Which stories feature £100 and what were the circumstances? It's just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • Related: Episode 121 - Old Money
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • John H. Watson―Word-Painter

    John H. Watson―Word-Painter
    Jul 2 2025

    “I had painted” [TWIS]

    The Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article we're discussing this month is by H.C. Potter from Vol. 26, No. 2 of The Baker Street Journal.

    In it, Potter looks at Watson's prosaic way of setting the scene for us. He selects excerpts from a number of stories to prove his case. Was he successful in backing up his claims? It's just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • The Morley-Montgomery Award
    • The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes (Patreon | Substack)
    • H.C. Potter's obituary (The New York Times)
    • David McCullough: Painting with Words (IMDb)
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
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An amiable and relaxing podcast for Sherlock fans. The pleasure of musing on trifles.

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