Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (136 page)

BOOK: Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
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Dakin, D. Martin.
A Sherlock Holmes Commentary.
Newton Abbot, UK: David and Charles, 1972. Packed full of rewarding material.
Green, Richard Lancelyn, ed.
The Uncollected Sherlock Holmes.
Har mondsworth, UK: Penguin, 1983. Contains all of Doyle’s writings about Sherlock Holmes, as well as comments of others such as J. M. Barrie.
—.
The Sherlock Holmes Letters.
Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1986. Republishes a collection of letters from readers about the stories.
Hardwick, Michael.
The Complete Guide to Sherlock Holmes.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1986. Solves many mysteries and satisfies many curiosities.
Shreffler, P. A.
The Baker Street Reader: Cornerstone Writings about Sherlock Holmes.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984. A collection of essays.
Other Works Cited in the General Introduction
Doyle, Arthur Conan.
Arthur Conan Doyle: Letters to the Press.
Edited by John Michael Gibson and Richard Lancelyn Green. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1986.
Hoving, Thomas.
Tutankhamun: The Untold Story.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978.
Other Works Cited in the Introduction to Volume II
Conan Doyle, Arthur.
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Long Stories.
London: John Murray, 1929.
De Waal, Ronald Burt.
The World Bibliography of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Classified and Annotated List of Materials Relating to Their Lives and Adventures.
Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1974.
Hollyer, Cameron. “Author to Editor: Arthur Conan Doyle’s Correspondence with H. Greenhough Smith.” A.C.D.: The Journal of the Arthur Conan Doyle Society 3 (1992), pp. 11-34.
Howlett, Michael Anthony. “The Impersonators: Sherlock Holmes on Stage and Screen.” In
Beyond Baker Street:
A
Sherlockian Anthology,
edited and annotated by Michael Harrison. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1976.
a
The order of the stories in book form and in this collection are not the same as the original publication order.
b
The death of Mary Marston Watson, his wife.
c
Holmes refers to Shakespeare’s
Antony and Cleopatra
(act 2, scene 2): “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
I
Her infinite variety.”
d
Misquote from Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night
(act 2, scene 3): “Journeys end in lovers meeting.”
e
Hindu term for a hunter.
f
As silent as if made out of wax.
g
Another name for the North Sea.
h
Counter to honesty; crossing the bounds of legality.
i
Tavernkeeper.
j
Knight of the Garter; member of the most exclusive Order in Britain.
k
Privy Councillor; an appointed member to a mostly ceremonial council that advises the sovereign.
l
A chandler is a dealer in a specified merchandise.
m
Write the name of a bank across the check so Holmes could deposit it.
n
Predetermined order of succession to the estate.
o
Perhaps, then, his initials are not a coincidence.
p
Reference to Shakespeare’s
Henry IV, Part I
(act 2, scene 4): “Nay, that’s past praying for.”
q
Type of apple.
r
Carriage drawn by two horses, here the chestnuts of the next line.
s
He sleeps so excessively he can’t be awakened.
t
Heavy curtain hung across a doorway.
u
Greek goddess of wisdom, usually spelled Athena.
v
Top part of a wall.
w
Short riding whip.
x
Illustrious Italian Renaissance family whose members included popes and poisoners.
y
Was officially a representative for the school for a sports event.
z
Suffered gambling losses at the racetrack.
aa
Eyeglasses that fit on the bridge of the nose.
ab
Parchment or vellum that has been written upon more than once.
ac
Chair mounted on wheels for invalids; first used at Bath, noted for its medicinal springs.
ad
Watson
refers to the chase in
The Sign of Four.
ae
Distracted from present concerns; absentminded.
af
The phrase “time of trouble” or “times of trouble” is found more than a dozen times in the Bible—for example, Psalms 9:9, 10:1, 27:5, 37:39, and 41:1.
ag
Hit with a battle-ax having a hammer face opposite the blade.
ah
Let down, disappoint.
ai
Household articles plated (covered) with gold or silver.
aj
A card game metaphor; means Armstrong currently has the upper hand.
ak
Pen in a stable where a horse is kept without a halter.
al
House said to be the northernmost point of Britain.
am
Holmes refers to Shakespeare’s
Henry
V (act 3, scene 1): “The game’s afoot!”
an
He does; see “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier” and “The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane.”
ao
Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), Italian architect whose style profoundly influenced English architecture.
ap
That is, “bees wing”: a flaky deposit sometimes found in old bottles of wine.
aq
The voice of the people is the voice of God (Latin); attributed to English scholar Alcuin (c. 735-804).
ar
Rug made in India of coarse wool and cotton.
as
In uncomfortable circumstances, especially financial trouble.
at
Matter-of-factly humorous.
au
Damages awarded by a court for injury to feelings.
av
Bradshaw’s Monthly Railway Guide,
first devised by George Bradshaw (1801-1853).
aw
Given to victors of the ancient Greek contests called the Pythian games, and sometimes to victorious generals.
ax
Writing paper; so called because its watermark shows a jester’s cap and bells.
ay
Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard.
az
That is, you are unnaturally obsessed with something. Also reminds us that Holmes will retire as a beekeeper.
ba
Young Girl with a Lamb (French).
bb
The grim Colonel appears as a principal in “The Adventure of the Empty House” and is mentioned in “The Adventure of the Illustrious Client” and “His Last Bow.”
bc
The times of James I, king of England from 1603 to 1625; Jacob is the Latin form of James.
bd
Explosive noise of the rifle.
be
Slang for “odd” or “strange.”
bf
Trees whose top branches have been pruned so that they will produce dense growths of new shoots.
bg
Adjustable wrench.
bh
Term denoting the head of a lodge.
bi
Nook or comer near the ingle (fireplace).
bj
Spirit of a place (Latin).
bk
James I reigned from 1603 until 1625; thus 1607.
bl
Reference to the Bible, Luke 21:19: “In your patience possess ye your souls” (King James Version; henceforth, KJV).
bm
Strong and hard punishment (French).
bn
Conan Doyle’s mangled attempt to recreate an Irish endearment; what this word actually means is “O diarrhea” (per the Oxford edition of
The Valley of Fear).
bo
Reference to the Bible, Galatians 6:7: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (KJV).
bp
An Irish girl.
bq
Daily exchanges; at the time the word carried no sexual connotation.
br
Reference to Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night
(act 2, scene 5): “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.”
bs
Candidate for admission to an order or fraternity.
bt
Division Master of Ancient Order of Freemen; the organization is probably part of or related to the secret fraternal order the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
bu
That is, live under the oppressive tyranny of Czar Alexander II.
bv
Medicine; remedy.
bw
Loud wailing over the dead.
bx
Power-operated hammer lifted by a lever and then dropped.
by
Reference to the early Holmes story “The Red-Headed League.”
bz
Reference to another early story, “The Five Orange Pips.”
ca
The beginning of a quarter of a year; some payments are made on such days.
cb
Reference to Shakespeare’s
Henry
V (act 3, scene 1): “The game’s afoot!”
cc
One of the outer buildings of the main house (not a toilet).
cd
State of deep thought or reverie.
ce
In
A Study in Scarlet
Holmes expresses a decidedly different opinion.
cf
Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), Italian composer and virtuoso violinist.
cg
Handcuffs.
ch
Not drinking alcohol.
ci
Enlisted men lived in the forecastle; officers, in the poop deck.
cj
Large barrel.
ck
Again Holmes misquotes
Twelfth Night
(scene 2, scene 3); Shakespeare wrote: “Journeys end in lovers meeting.”
cl
Secret political society in France and Italy in the early nineteenth century.
cm
Covent Garden Theatre is London’s world-renowned opera house.
cn
Mycroft functions as what we call today a relational database.
co
Train-track rails.
cp
Yes, Holmes quotes “Humpty Dumpty.”
cq
Lantern with a panel for blocking the light.
cr
European term for what Americans call the second floor.
cs
Legal term for the return of an estate to its grantor after the grant has terminated.
ct
The name may ring a bell: Count Dracula rented Carfax Abbey.
cu
A savage—a veritable savage! (French).
cv
Workman (French).
cw
Big, high cap trimmed with frills and ribbons.
cx
South African gold mining town.
cy
Reference to Shakespeare’s
Henry VI, Part II
(act 3, scene 2): “Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just.”
cz
Call sounded during a fox hunt to let the riders know a fox has been sighted.
da
Relating to the Chaldeans, an ancient Semitic people who once ruled Babylo nia.
db
Germany declared war on Russia to start World War I on that day.
dc
Four-horse team controlled by a single driver.
dd
Usually sweet, white wine from the Tokay district of Hungary.
de
Franz Josef (1830-1916) was emperor of Austria and king of Hungary.
df
Strait 15 miles long between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
dg
George Lewis (1833-1911), the most prestigious solicitor (lawyer) of the age.
dh
Charlie Peace (1832-1879), a violinist and burglar who was hanged for several murders.
di
Thomas Griffiths Wainwright (1794-1852), painter and poisoner.
dj
Prison on the Isle of Wight.
dk
A king, queen, jack, or ace.
dl
Street thugs.
dm
One-handed fencing stick fitted with a hand guard.
dn
Inflammatory skin disease.
do
Well-known auction house, like Sotheby, mentioned below.
dp
Sulfuric acid.
dq
Reference to the Bible, Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death” (KJV).
dr
A cockade was an ornament worn on a coachman’s hat as a livery badge.
ds
Family coat of arms.
dt
London’s equivalent of Wall Street.
du
Victoria Cross, a medal for bravery.
dv
Quarrel.

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