Watson

and narrator of the Sherlock Holmes stories

Jefferson County
Jefferson County#English

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Alabama.

census-designated place
census-designated place

Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish#English

An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.

McCurtain County
McCurtain County#English

An unincorporated community in McCurtain County, Oklahoma.

An unincorporated community in Loudoun County, Virginia.


Sherlock Holmes

What powers of deduction! . . . And what assurance! . . . A real Sherlock Holmes! I really didn’t think detectives like that existed, except in books!

1978, Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper, Michael Turner, transl., Tintin in America (The Adventures of Tintin), Egmont, published 2012, →ISBN, page 45:

(figuratively, by extension) Any person who has or is considered to have great powers of observation and deduction.


no shit, Sherlock

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-no shit, Sherlock.wav

A reference to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, pretending that the interlocutor has just made a great deduction.

"No shit, Sherlock. Take another look, see how they come to be bent."

1976, Emmett Grogan, Final Score, page 264:

My copilot uttered, "I think we are headed for the bridge." No shit, Sherlock.

2006, Barry Morgan, Never Tell Them You're Dying, page 127:

I also find it a little bizarre that, in 2019, we are still seeing reports with names like “Rise of the SHEconomy” which point out that investing in female-focussed brands is probably a good idea. No SHEeet Sherlock!

2019 August 31, Arwa Mahdawi, “All the single ladies have been an economic force for a long time – marketers are just noticing”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

The latest line of heat records has been met with a response that climate scientists have made many times before. They say to stop records from tumbling the world needs to stop burning coal, oil, and natural gas. "It's a, 'No shit Sherlock,' moment," Dr Perkins Kirkpatrick said.

2024 June 5, Tyne Logan, Tom Saunders, “As 12 months of record heat stack up, scientists unpack the impacts around the globe”, in ABC News (Australia):

(vulgar, colloquial, sarcastic, somewhat derogatory) A riposte to someone who has just said something obvious.


Baker Street

She was looking more like Sherlock Holmes than ever. Slap a dressing-gown on her and give her a violin, and she could have walked straight into Baker Street and no questions asked.

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

A street in the City of Westminster, London; the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes was at number 221B.


Holmesian

So great a protest arose from 20,000 Holmesians, including Queen Victoria and her family, that Doyle revived the character in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), “The Adventure of the Empty House” (1903), and “The Adventure of the Second Stain” (1904).

2005, Mary Ellen Snodgrass, Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature, Facts on File, published 2005, →ISBN, page 179:

After the decision was made, a group of local Holmesians in charge of planning the exhibition decided to re-create the sitting room at 221b Baker Street.

2010, Steven Doyle, David A. Crowder, Sherlock Holmes for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., published 2010, →ISBN, page 290:

Sunday's episode, the first of three installments, is "A Study in Pink," a nod to the 1887 Doyle novel "A Study in Scarlet" that introduced the Holmes character and a title that could be the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of traditional Holmesians.

2010 October 21, Ellen Gray, “Get clued in on the 'Masterpiece Mystery!: Sherlock' miniseries”, in Philadelphia Inquirer:

A fan of the character Sherlock Holmes; one who studies or enjoys the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


Sherlock

Supposedly from an Old English scir-lock (“bright-lock”).
One of a group of surnames originally denoting hair colour, parallel to Blacklock, Harlock (Old English har (“grey”)), Silverlock.
In the computing verb sense, refers to the software Sherlock, which in 2002 came to replicate some of the features of an earlier complementary program called Watson.

— Where that arrow on the map says 'You are here', that must be where we are.

— Yeah, well done Sherlock.

(humorous) A detective (from Sherlock Holmes), especially used sarcastically to address somebody who has stated the obvious.


Sherlockian

en-adj

Sherlockian (comparative more Sherlockian, superlative most Sherlockian)

more Sherlockian (comparative)
most Sherlockian (superlative)

Of or pertaining to Sherlock Holmes or his investigations, methods, or sayings.

sherlockien

of or pertaining to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes


Sherlockian

William S. Baring-Gould was one of our most knowledgeable Sherlockians and a scholarly, prolific writer.

Sherlockians generally praise two screen incarnations of Holmes: One is British actor Jeremy Brett's portrayal of the sleuth in TV series from 1984 to 1994, and the other is by Plummer in the 1979 film "Murder by Decree," which costars James Mason as Watson.

2009 December 25, Tirdad Derakhshani, “The screen has been unfaithful to Holmes”, in Los Angeles Times:

But some Sherlockians have made a sport out of searching for the “real” 221B, parsing clues in the texts with the diligence of Holmes himself.

2011, Joshua Hammer, Sherlock Holmes' London, New Word City, published 2011, →ISBN:

To be a “Sherlockian” (in England, a “Holmesian”) is to do more than read Sherlock Holmes with delight; it is to enter a world of trivia questions, films, parodies, interlocking societies, little magazines, T-shirts, nostalgia, and a dedication bordering on mania.

2012, Christopher Redmond, Sherlock Holmes Handbook: Second Edition, Dundurn Press, published 2009, →ISBN, page 257:

A Sherlock Holmes scholar or fan; one who studies and/or appreciates the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


Sherlocky

Sherlocky (comparative more Sherlocky, superlative most Sherlocky)

more Sherlocky (comparative)
most Sherlocky (superlative)

"Yes, now what was all that about? You were so damn Sherlocky yesterday all of a sudden. We'd been doing the thing together all the time, and you'd been telling me everything, and then suddenly you become very mysterious and private and talk enigmatically--is that the word?--about dentists and swimming and the 'Plough and Horses,' and--well, what was it all about? You simply vanished out of sight; I didn't know what on earth we were talking about."

1922, A. A. Milne, chapter XXII, in The Red House Mystery:

My nephew was reading a story, a tale of the Sherlocky sort; its pages were startling and gory, and blood was dispensed by the quart.

1925 June 18, Walt Mason, “Rippling Rhymes”, in The Calgary Daily Herald:

[…] We would have, if you weren't such a Sherlocky snoop. I suppose you'll tell me next you found our private clubroom."

1967, Louisa R. Shotwell, Adam Bookout, The Viking Press, published 1967, page 236:

Resembling or characteristic of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.


Holmesish

Holmesish (comparative more Holmesish, superlative most Holmesish)

more Holmesish (comparative)
most Holmesish (superlative)

But can they have accepted Edmund Wilson's verdict that all detective fiction is only Holmesish imitation, and elected to go back to Square One?

1964, Books and Bookmen, volume 10, page 71:

The environmental dimensions of energy production and consumption are, in fact, rarely out of the news — although one sometimes needs a Holmesish dedication to ferret out the evidence.

1978 June 1, John Elkington, “Fuelling the EIA flame”, in New Scientist:

One reply to this is to say that we should count "Holmes might not have been a detective" as true just in case each Holmesish individual has a counterpart that is not a detective.

1990, Gregory Currie, The Nature of Fiction, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 140:


Sherlockish

Sherlockish (comparative more Sherlockish, superlative most Sherlockish)

more Sherlockish (comparative)
most Sherlockish (superlative)

Curt chuckled. "You sound so important and Sherlockish! […]

1938 March 11, Sophie Kerr, “There's Only One”, in The Massena Observer, page 4:

It's starting to come together nicely, and Meyer's character is starting to ring truer, although perhaps a bit to^([sic]) Sherlockish.

2001 June 12, thurmans, “Re: Bye Bye Black Sheep - Chapter 9”, in alt.fan.travis-mcgee (Usenet):

Or another attempt on Berezovsky's life stopped by sherlockish Scotland Yard.

2007 July 20, Vladimir Makarenko, “Re: Kreml Sends 80 Year-old Bombers To Scare UK”, in soc.culture.baltics (Usenet):


Watsonish

Watsonish (comparative more Watsonish, superlative most Watsonish)

more Watsonish (comparative)
most Watsonish (superlative)

"You don't really want it explained," he said, smacking him on the knee; "you're just being Watsonish. It's very nice of you, of course, and I appreciate it."

1922, A. A. Milne, chapter XI, in The Red House Mystery:

I would have settled for a Watsonish role. I don't have to be the main character.

1991, Kathryn Lasky, Double Trouble Squared, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 159:

This element is also picked up by Thomas Aquinas (whose philosophy sometimes has a Watsonish quality in relation to Aristotle, whom he calls simply “The Philosopher”).

2012, Philip Tallon, “Watsons, Adlers, Lestrades, and Moriaties: On the Nature of Friends and Enemies”, in Philip Tallon, David Baggett, editors, The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes, University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN, page 66:

Resembling or characteristic of the character Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories.


Sherlock Holmesish

Sherlock Holmesish (comparative more Sherlock Holmesish, superlative most Sherlock Holmesish)

more Sherlock Holmesish (comparative)
most Sherlock Holmesish (superlative)

"When I found the letters with a name which matched the initials I felt very Sherlock Holmesish. […]

1959, Emilie Loring, With This Ring, Bantam, page 41:

Sir Berkeley stroked his beard and looked Sherlock Holmesish.

1976, Betty Beaty, Love and the Kentish Maid, Harlequin, published 1976, →ISBN, page 131:

[…] the mystery bash's hostess sported a pearl necklace with an appropriately Sherlock Holmesish magnifying glass pendant, […]

2011, Delia Rosen, One Foot in the Gravy, Kensington Books, published 2011, →ISBN, page 16:


Sherlock Holmesy

Sherlock Holmesy (comparative more Sherlock Holmesy, superlative most Sherlock Holmesy)

more Sherlock Holmesy (comparative)
most Sherlock Holmesy (superlative)

And he wore a Sherlock Holmesy kind of cap with a swarm of salmon flies upon it, that to my boyish fancy was more splendid than a crown.

1951, Roland Pertwee, The River God, page 7:

"Don't try to get all Sherlock Holmesy on me, Hicks. Sherlock Holmes wasn't always right. […]

2004, Graham Masterton, The Devil in Gray, Leisure Books, →ISBN, page 225:

I dont^([sic]) know, he says, all Sherlock Holmesy in a cloud of smoke.

2006, T. Lipshitz, Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes, Dutton, →ISBN:


Watsonian

Watsonian (comparative more Watsonian, superlative most Watsonian)

more Watsonian (comparative)
most Watsonian (superlative)

From Watson + -ian. "In-universe" sense formed in reference to Dr. John Watson, the fictional author within the text of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in contrast to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the real author of the stories. Started in Sherlock Holmes fandom before spreading to other fandoms. Possibly originating in the "Baker Street Irregulars" fan club and entering the science fiction fandom usage (fanspeak) via the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.


Johnlock

All of our "feels" are on the line again as they continue to be with anything that involves Johnlock (thanks a lot, Moffat), Merthur and Destiel.

2013, Keren Lopez, "Yahoo buys Tumblr, leaves fandoms in despair", La Voz Weekly (De Anza College), Volume 46, Number 27, 3 June 2013, page 8

For Karen the most exciting thing about the comeback is the reunion between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman: “I ship Johnlock!” Karen enthused.

2013, Gerrit van de Riet, "November for Fandoms: Sneak Peek", The Window (New College, Toronto), November 2013, page 20

Across the pond, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss often place characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in situations that suggest a relationship between them, even though the series establishes Watson as heterosexual, to placate the fans that “ship Johnlock” in the BBC series “Sherlock.”

2013, Pragya Parmita, "Fandoms: Too Powerful?", The Bottom Line (Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara), Volume 8, Issue 5, 6 November - 12 November 2013, page 8

(fandom slang) The ship of characters John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from the television series Sherlock.


Sherlocked

Sherlocked (comparative more Sherlocked, superlative most Sherlocked)

more Sherlocked (comparative)
most Sherlocked (superlative)

After last week's first episode we are all most definitely Sherlocked, and can't wait for tonight's take on the seminal sleuth's most infamous case, The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

Wit and technical wizardry aside, the new series should draw a large audience because Sherlocked fans everywhere want to know how their hero faked his own death.

2014 January 16, Addison Engelking, “Watching The Detective”, in Memphis Flyer:

To to all of the Sherlocked fans, the new series will be coming back in 2016, […]

2014, Hannah Choe, "Sherlock Is Late and We Are Sad", The San Mateo Hi (San Mateo High School), Volume 92, Number 6, 11 April 2014, page 8

(fandom slang) Addicted to the television series Sherlock.


Superwholock

Blend of Supernatural (U.S. TV series) + Doctor Who + Sherlock (TV series).

blend

This show is one of my favorites, so much so that even I am a part of the Superwholock fandom.

2013, Nicholas Howe, "TV with Nic: BBC's Sherlock", The SCC Challenge (Southeast Community College), Volume 28, Number 3, 14 February 2013, page 6

The nascent fandom of SuperWhoLock (a fandom of Supernatural, Doctor Who, and the BBC’s Sherlock) exemplifies this playfulness: fans mix and match texts to create unique fan texts outside what canon offers.

2013 April 29, Paul Booth, “Reifying the Fan: Inspector Spacetime as Fan Practice”, in Popular Communication: The International Journal of Media and Culture, volume 11, number 2, page 151:

Gif fics are not proprietary to the SuperWhoLock fandom.

2013, Nistasha Perez, "Gif Fics and the Rebloggable Canon of SuperWhoLock", in Fan Phenomenon: Doctor Who (ed. Paul Booth), Intellect Books (2013), published 15 August 2013, page 152

(fandom slang) An amalgamate fandom of the television series Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock, often characterized by crossover fanworks with characters and plot elements from all three.


Sherlockiana

From Sherlockian + -ana or Sherlock + -iana.

I collect Sherlockiana first and foremost because I am a Sherlock Holmes bug.

1954, Nathan L. Bengis, “Why I Collect Sherlockiana”, in Hobbies, volume 59, number 1, page 126:

McCutcheon has built up a small but extensive collection of Sherlockiana headed by a copy of Beeton's 1887 Christmas Annual, the publication in which Sherlock Holmes made his debut.

2007, Howard Burman, Paradise by Paradise, iUniverse, →ISBN:

On the ground floor there is a good collection of Sherlockiana. This includes the face-mask used for the Hound of the Baskervilles in the 1960s Hammer movie, complete with phosphorescent paint.

2011, Robin James, “The performance of power”, in Cath Phillips, editor, Time Out London Walks: 30 Walks by London Writers, Volume 1, Time Out Guides, →ISBN, page 30:

Memorabilia or writings related to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.


Doylist

en-adj

Doylist (comparative more Doylist, superlative most Doylist)

more Doylist (comparative)
most Doylist (superlative)

From Doyle + -ist, with reference to Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Adjective formed by analogy to Doyle as the real author of the text, as opposed to Dr. John Watson as the fictional author within the text. Started in Sherlock Holmes fandom before spreading to other fandoms. Possibly originating in the "Baker Street Irregulars" fan club and entering the science fiction fandom usage (fanspeak) via the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.

I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle].

2000 October 6, Martin Bonham, “Banks was Re: Multi-culturalism in space?”, in rec.arts.sf.written (Usenet), message-ID <970804830.406747@hermes>:

Roddenberry's official explaination^([sic]) was "They always looked like that. We just didn't have the budjet^([sic]) in the 1960's to show them properly."¶ This is one case where I prefer the Doylist explaination^([sic]).

2001 September 30, Rob Wynne, “Re: OK, Enterprise...”, in rec.music.filk (Usenet), message-ID <74Jt7.875$oL3.24397@eagle.america.net>:

While fans recognize and do engage in Doylist readings, they tend to find Watsonian readings more engaging. Fan fiction writers in particular engage with the text intradiegetically.

2012, Laurie Cubbison, “Russell T Davies, 'Nine Hysterical Women,' and the Death of Ianto Jones”, in New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders, →ISBN:

(fandom slang, narratology) From a real-world perspective; of or relating to an explanation outside the text; external to the narrative.


Doylist

T. Raymond
One can imagine the devout Doylist wringing his hands over every fresh appearance of Sir Arthur in the character of an exponent of spiritualism.

An enthusiast of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.


Sheriarty

The Empty Hearse club member goth girl who came up with the romantic Sheriarty solution to Sherlock’s fake suicide is played by Scottish actress Sharon Rooney, star of the British dramedy “My Mad Fat Diary.”

2014 January 19, Lori Rackl, “Answers to your ‘Sherlock’ questions — because you know you’ve got ‘em”, in Chicago Sun-Times:

The Sheriarty and Jimlock fans believe the two men are struggling in a love-hate relationship, while WH is a gay “couple” beloved by most fans.

2014 January 25, Qu Zhi, “Sherlock China’s new sex god”, in Shanghai Daily:

Having exhausted what meager supply of Sheriarty fic there was, I ended up reading a Mormor (Moriarty/Moran) story – and ended up loving it.

2015, Kee Lundqvist, "Stories of Significance: The Process and Practices of Sense-Making in the Sherlock Fan Community", thesis submitted to Uppsala University, page 77

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty from the television series Sherlock.


Sherlolly

To exemplify, 16magnolias' Lessons in Love is described as containing 'sweet, slow Sherlolly' […]

2016, Maria Lindgren Leavenworth, “Paratextual Navigation as a Research Method: Fan Fiction Archives and Reader Instructions”, in Gabriele Griffin, editor, Research Methods for Reading Digital Data in the Digital Humanities, page 62:

Where there are undoubtedly some within the Sherlolly fandom who are attracted to the pairing because of the sexuality and charisma of Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal, there is a large and vocal section of fans who are inspired and encouraged by the characterization of Molly herself.

2018, Jennifer Phillips, “A Woman in a Man's (Fictional) World: Considering the Importance of Dr. Molly Hooper in the BBC's Modern Adaptation of Sherlock”, in Ashley Lynn Carlson, editor, Women in STEM on Television: Critical Essays, page 180:

The Sherlolly writing challenge specifies that authors must bring Sherlock and Molly together in a relationship by the happy ending.

2018, Jennifer Wojton, Lynnette Porter, Sherlock and Digital Fandom: The Meeting of Creativity, Community and Advocacy, page 151:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper from the television series Sherlock.


Baskervillean

Baskervillean (comparative more Baskervillean, superlative most Baskervillean)

more Baskervillean (comparative)
most Baskervillean (superlative)

From Baskerville + -an, in reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's crime novel The Hound of the Baskervilles (published 1901-1902).

I entered and rang the bell, which was answered first by a Baskervillean baying, and in due course by Mrs Healey herself.

2015, Ceri Houlbrook, Natalie Armitage, The Materiality of Magic: An artifactual investigation into ritual practices and popular beliefs:

Characteristic of a fearsome, diabolical dog.


Johnlocker

As much as I dislike shipping people in real life, CumberBrealey/Beneloo/Cumberloo are my OTP.
(Come at me, Johnlockers!)

2014, "Hades", "On Benedict Cumberbatch", The Nerdwriter, February 2014, page 9

Since the Johnlockers won't call out others within their own ship, I will.

2018, Daneel, quoted in Katie Wilson, "Red Pillers, Sad Puppies, and Gamergaters: The State of Male Privilege in Internet Fan Communities", in A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies (ed. Paul Booth), page 434

As a microcosmos, TJLCers and Johnlockers demonstrate that queer viewers can weaponize consumer culture to challenge essentialist stereotypes that still restrict what is socially expected and encouraged of individuals based on their biological gender, sexual preference, and mental health status.

2018, Diana W. Anselmo, "Gender and Queer Fan Labor on Tumblr: The Cast of BBC's Sherlock", Feminist Media Studies, Volume 4, Number 1, Winter 2018, page 96

(fandom slang) A shipper of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson from the television series Sherlock.


Mystrade

The latter include Lestrade (as played by Graves) appreciation and fanfic sites [URLS redacted], a significant strand of (self-evidently, fanon/non-canon) ‘Mystrade’ slash activity, in which Lestrade is imagined to be in a romantic/sexual relationship, or even civil partnership, with Mycroft Holmes (played by Sherlock’s co-creator, Mark Gatiss) […]

2011 November, Claire Monk, “Heritage Film Audiences 2.0: Period Film Audiences and Online Fan Cultures”, in Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, volume 7, number 2, page 474:

It seems natural in the context of fandom that Mystrade and Wincest are important generic categories, or that Kirk and Spock is an entirely different fictional animal from Kirk/Spock.

2013, Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 361:

[…] whereas SailorChibi's Walking Together is labelled an 'AU' featuring 'Johnlock & mentions of Mystrade'.

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Mycroft Holmes and Greg Lestrade from the television series Sherlock.


Adlock

Adlock fans cite the episode "A Scandal in Belgravia" as evidence of Sherlock Holmes' enduring love for "the Woman," Irene Adler.

2016, Jennifer Phillips, Katharina Freund, “Engaging with 'Herself': Fandom and Authorship in the Age of Tumblr”, in Valerie Estelle Frankel, editor, Adoring Outlander: Essays on Fandom, Genre and the Female Audience, page 36:

As you've probably gathered, I do not ship Johnlock. I can roll with pretty much any Sherlock ship, except that one and Adlock.

The ships most likely to be attacked are those which feature a male/female pairing such as Sherlolly, Adlock (Irene Adler/Sherlock), and Warstan (John Watson/Mary Morstan), […]

2019, E. J. Nielsen, “The Gay Elephant Meta In The Room: Sherlock And The Johnlock Conspiracy”, in Joseph Brennan, editor, Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans Through Homoerotic Possibilities, pages 87–88:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler from the television series Sherlock.


parentlock

Especially because of Season Three's depiction of heavily pregnant Mary in "His Last Vow," fans who ship Johnlock are more likely to consider the inclusion of a Watson baby within the parentlock narrative of Sherlock and John.

2016, Alyxis Smith, “Fan Fiction as an Argument: Arguing for Johnlock through the Roles of Women and Explicit Sex Scenes in Sherlock Fan Fiction”, in Lynnette Porter, editor, Who Is Sherlock?: Essays on Identity in Modern Holmes Adaptations, page 164:

The relevant tags here were very similar to LJ, if phrased slightly differently: e.g., parentlock (portmanteau of parent + Sherlock), military John, genderswap, mpreg.

2017, Judith May Fathallah, Fanfiction and the Author: How Fanfic Changes Popular Cultural Texts, page 65:

All of these AU parentlock stories or series become "alternate" because of a change in the Sherlock-John relationship and the inclusion of a child who becomes theirs.

2018, Jennifer Wojton, Lynnette Porter, Sherlock and Digital Fandom: The Meeting of Creativity, Community and Advocacy, page 41:

(Sherlock fandom slang) A subgenre of Sherlock fan fiction in which Sherlock and John raise a child or children together.


TJLCer

Stalwart TJLCers were the only ones clever enough to have unearthed the plot and follow the trail of the imaginary breadcrumbs.

2017, Christopher Redmond, About Being a Sherlockian: 60 Essays Celebrating the Sherlock Holmes Community, page 171:

TJLCers still believe that outing Sherlock and John as a romantic couple on worldwide television can propel ideological shifts in national attitudes and global awareness, resulting in broader social equality for everyday queer people.

2018, Diana W. Anselmo, "Gender and Queer Fan Labor on Tumblr: The Case of BBC's Sherlock", Feminist Media Studies, Volume 4, Number 1, Winter 2018, page 92

Treating a gay relationship as a puzzle that must be pursued by the clever viewers and hidden from "casuals" until the narrative reveal at the eleventh hour seems antithetical to the idea of normalized representation that TJLCers claim as the main reason they want Johnlock to be canon, […]

2019, E. J. Nielsen, “The Gay Elephant Meta In The Room: Sherlock And The Johnlock Conspiracy”, in Joseph Brennan, editor, Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans Through Homoerotic Possibilities, page 91:

(Sherlock fandom slang) A proponent of The Johnlock Conspiracy (TJLC).


TJLC

The queer utopianism infusing TJLC fanworks is shaped by a strand of collective fan labor often dismissed by mainstream sources as self-indulgent and overemotional: that of protest, in this case against toxic heteronormativity.

2018, Diana W. Anselmo, "Gender and Queer Fan Labor on Tumblr: The Case of BBC's Sherlock", Feminist Media Studies, Volume 4, Number 1, Winter 2018, page 93

These expectations became confronted with the decision on the side of the screenwriters that angered many fans supporting the TJLC theory.

2018, Małgorzata Lisowska-Magdziarz, “Authors, Owners, Influencers, Entitled Fans And Ultimate Fanboys: TJLC Controversy And The Politics Of Media Content Creation”, in Tadej Pirc, editor, Participation, Culture and Democracy: Perspectives on Public Engagement and Social Communication, page 85:

Where TJLC differs from traditional Sherlockian fandom and fannish scholarship is in its insistence on a single correct reading of the text: […]

2019, E. J. Nielsen, “The Gay Elephant Meta In The Room: Sherlock And The Johnlock Conspiracy”, in Joseph Brennan, editor, Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans Through Homoerotic Possibilities, page 83:

(Sherlock fandom slang) The Johnlock Conspiracy; a theory prevalent in Sherlock fandom before series four, which interpreted the show as having a strong queer subtext, and held that the showrunners intended an eventual romance between Sherlock and John.


Tunalock

(There is, for example, an enormous genre of fan-made visual art depicting Sherlock Holmes as an anthropomorphic tuna: collectively, Tunalock. It would confuse Sidney Paget, but I find it hilarious and rejoice in its existence.)

2015, Zach Dundas, The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes, page 255:

If the proponents of Tunalock (Holmes and Watson are fishes) or Farmlock (cows), the fans who post pictures of Martin Freeman on Tumblr and the devotees of crossover fanfic, want to claim the name of Sherlockians, they are welcome to it.

2017, Christoper Redmond, About Being a Sherlockian: 60 Essays Celebrating the Sherlock Holmes Community, page 7:

Perhaps the strangest AU is tunalock, with Sherlock as a fish wearing a scarf.

2018, Jennifer Wojton, Lynnette Porter, Sherlock and Digital Fandom: The Meeting of Creativity, Community and Advocacy, page 36:

(Sherlock fandom slang) A subgenre of Sherlock fan fiction and fanart portraying Sherlock Holmes as a tuna or tuna-headed reverse mermaid.


Fawnlock

Certainly it would be hard to guess why individuals dressed as humanoid woodland animals would be at a Holmes convention if you weren’t familiar with Fawnlock stories and art, in an Alternate Universe where Sherlock is a deer-like creature with antlers and fur.

2014, Lynne Stephens, "The Game Is Never Over: A 221B Con Review", Canadian Holmes: The Journal of the Bootmakers of Toronto, Volume 36, Number 4, Summer 2014, page 4

One of my oldest informants, adagio, confirms this in an e-mail interview and admits to sometimes feeling as if fandom is deviating too far from the story told on the show: "I don‘t really see the point when the names is all that‘s left. I don‘t get things like fawnlock or tunalock at all, but I guess it‘s amusing. … Sometimes I think the internet has made it too easy to publish stories."

2015, "adagio", quoted in Kee Lundqvist, "Stories of Significance: The Process and Practices of Sense-Making in the Sherlock Fan Community", thesis submitted to Uppsala University, page 76

Sometimes the thematically focused groups are a clear subset of shippers, such as teenlock, femlock, vamplock, or fawnlock (respectively describing John Watson/Sherlock Holmes as teens, women, vampires, or young deer).

2017, Kristina Busse, Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities, page 112:

(Sherlock fandom slang) A subgenre of Sherlock fan fiction and fanart portraying Sherlock Holmes as an anthropomorphic deer-like creature.


Femlock

As the fandom of BBC Sherlock, English and Japanese alike, is predominantly female, it comes as no surprise that a lot of fans have taken this matter upon themselves by cosplay. Thus, this makes up for a big part of the Femlock content available online.

2017, Carolina Lindström, "'The power of characterization': A comparative analysis of the transformative works created by the English-language and Japanese-language fandoms of BBC Sherlock", thesis submitted to Stockholm University, page 31

Fan-created versions of characters like 'Femlock' (female Sherlock) allow adolescent girls to create a world where they can incorporate all the atavistic traits of 'boy heroes' into female characters.

2021, Emma Byrne, How to Build a Human: What Science Knows About Childhood, unnumbered page:

(fandom slang) A female version of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, especially from the television series Sherlock.


purple shirt of sex

The play's promotional art features Cumberbatch-as-Sherlock (wearing the character's purple shirt of sex, as fans have called it) in front of a red-and-white heart-shaped bull's eye-style target.

2014, Lynnette Porter, Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed: Films, Fame, Fans, unnumbered page:

She stays with the brown and white color scheme, but adds a purple stripe and fringe to the ends to represent Sherlock's “purple shirt of sex.”

2016, Brigid Cherry, Cult Media, Fandom, and Textiles: Handicrafting as Fan Art, page 109:

Little did they know, there would soon be legions of fans armed with evidence to the contrary like the button-down that was labeled the “Purple Shirt of Sex,” because, well, it was both fairly low cut and stirred all kinds of feelings.

2020, Esther Zuckerman, A Field Guide to Internet Boyfriends: Meme-Worthy Celebrity Crushes from A to Z, unnumbered page:

(Sherlock fandom slang) A tailored royal-purple dress shirt worn by Sherlock Holmes (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch) on the television series Sherlock.


Potterlock

The same naming technique may be applied to crossovers - stories that combine two or more fandoms together - so in this case Potterlock is a combination of Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes fandom.

2019, Alena Pospíšilová, "Metamorphosis of Relationships in Harry Potter Fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Pardubice, page 33

Fictional characters star throughout Slash, including Catwoman and Wonder Woman and a wonderful alternate-universe Johnlock/Harry Potter crossover (Potterlock) with Sherlock as a drug-addicted pureblood Slytherin and John a Muggle-born Gryffindor dating Hufflepuff Mary.

2019 January 23, Lisa Granshaw, “Slash Brings Familiar And Unexpected Pairings To Life In The Ultimate Fanfiction Play”, in Syfy:

With Potterlock being such a popular crossover amongst Harry Potter and Sherlock fans, it’s no surprise that these characters slot so effortlessly into the four Hogwarts Houses.

2021, Maychen Tyler & Stacey Lannigan, "Sorting BBC’s 'Sherlock' Characters into Hogwarts Houses, MuggleNet, 2 February 2021

(fandom slang) A genre of crossover fanworks blending characters, settings, and plot elements from the Harry Potter series and the television show Sherlock.


Wholock

Whovians have joined with Sherlock fans to create WhoLock crossovers, which range from brilliant to bizarre.

2012, Charles Wang, "Not Sure If Still Funny", Kitsch (Cornell University), Spring 2012, page 36

Doctor Who and Sherlock showrunner Steven Moffat has "come clean" about the possibility of a crossover 'Wholock' episode between the two shows, saying he wants to do it but his "killjoy" colleagues Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are in the way.

2014 August 11, Christopher Hooton, “Doctor Who Sherlock crossover: I would do 'Wholock', says Steven Moffat”, in The Independent:

Neither Ben nor Thom knew much about SuperWhoLock, for instance, although they knew of WhoLock.

2019, Paul Booth, Crossing Fandoms: SuperWhoLock and the Contemporary Fan Audience, page 89:

(fandom slang) A genre of chiefly fan-created crossover fiction blending characters, settings, and plot elements from the Sherlock Holmes stories (typically the BBC series Sherlock) and the television series Doctor Who.


Holmesiana

Rights to further discussion of the March additions to published Holmesiana are now released to Vincent Starrett, who plays a considerable role in all three books.

1944 April 2, Charles Collins, “Bookman’s Holiday”, in Chicago Sunday Tribune, volume CIII, number 14, page 16:

Here, the veteran scholar of Holmesiana gives us an imaginative account of Watson’s early life—before the meeting with Holmes.

1985 spring, Jacques Barzun, Wendell Hertig Taylor, “A Catalogue of Crime”, in The Armchair Detective, volume 18, number 2, page 220:

The two Sherlockian special-interest books I would recommend to any casual reader who loves the character are Vincent Starrett’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes—a glimpse of the time of its own creation as much as of Holmesiana itself—and James Edward Holroyd’s happy-go-lucky Baker Street By-ways.

2015, Zach Dundas, The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Mariner Books; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, published 2016, →ISBN, page 301:

Memorabilia or writings related to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.


Sherlock Holmesque

Sherlock Holmesque (comparative more Sherlock Holmesque, superlative most Sherlock Holmesque)

more Sherlock Holmesque (comparative)
most Sherlock Holmesque (superlative)

[…] the interpreter, with Sherlock-Holmesque astuteness, paired this fact with that of the Frenchmen’s presence in the town […]

Half the population of the Silver Belt will turn Sherlock Holmesque. There are already fourteen different theories as to how the villains bored the hole in the wall, and there are dozens on the wing.

1910 September 8, “Concentrates”, in The Cobalt Daily Nugget, volume II, number 191, Cobalt, Ont., page one, column 3:

Frantz held the package at arm’s length and grew Sherlock Holmesque. Policeman gets a clue—asks for reasons—same not satisfactory—Frantz in cell in Center Avenue Station—clock on sergeant’s desk as evidence.

1912 October 14, “Policeman With Keen Ears Deduces an Alarm Clock Is Not Proper Companion”, in The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pa., page 1:

A la Sherlock Holmesque, Authier traced the noise to a paper sack which a youth nearby was carrying under his arm.

1923 August 8, “Alarm Clocks in Bag Let Go; Youth Nabbed”, in The Detroit Free Press, volume 88, number 315, Detroit, Mich., page 7:

“Sure as the Lord made tumbleweeds in Kansas, we — your Sherlock Holmesque readers — are closing in on the elusive Joe Don Looney,” the Morrisseys wrote.

1976 October 29, Dave Kindred, “The continuing Looney saga: Has our hero found peace?”, in The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ken., page C 1, column 2:

He plays Brown, a federal agent who disguises himself as a bumbling Sherlock Holmesque detective.

1988 April 8, Lisa McKinnon, “In search of theater”, in Lompoc Record, volume 114, number 307, page T1:

> Sherlock Holmesque films are pretty cool.

2000 April 28, betnoir, quoting Excession, “[OFF] A new police sitcom..”, in alt.callahans (Usenet):

But that little something happened to put me on the road leading to culinary achievements, and remained imbedded in my mind forever as a Sherlock Holmesque “Case of the Stubborn Duck”.

2003, Frank Stiffel, “When-it-Rains-it-Purrs, Inc.”, in The House of Margie: The Oxymoron Factor 4: A Post-Holocaust Memoir, Xlibris, →ISBN, page 253:

Am I supposed to call you a GENIUS because of your Sherlock Holmesque revelation ?

2007 October 7, CricketLeague, “Hair made the most appaling^([sic]) decision in my entire life - Sir John Anderson”, in rec.sport.cricke (Usenet):

It's sort of a Sherlock Holmesque thing, to try and pin down where a person is from based on their idioms and figures of speech.

2008 December 19, Geoff Miller, “Just One Word (Not Even!)”, in alt.support.childfree (Usenet):

Here, a compendium of well-written Sherlock Holmesque stories, set at our bustling Metro where milieu and characters extol authenticity, is a fine example of where we should commence in this rarely trod sub-genre of fiction.

2017, Maria L.M. Fres-Felix, quoting Joselito D. Delos Reyes, Crimetime: Inspector SJ Tuason Case Files, Anvil Publishing, Inc., →ISBN:

Resembling or characteristic of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.


Sherlock Holmesiana

Side by side with the revival of “Sherlock Holmesiana” (if we may be pardoned such a fabrication) comes another story from the industrious pen of Mr. Guy Boothby, dealing with his wondrous figure Doctor Nikola.

1901 November 14, “Books of the Day”, in Liverpool Mercury and Lancashire, Cheshire, and General Advertiser, number 16,813, page 10, column 2:

I hear that Conan Doyle “fans” are frantic to add the Frank fake to their Sherlock Holmesiana.

1929 April 15, “News Notes From Abroad”, in Asbury Park Evening Press, forty-third year, number 89, Asbury Park, N.J., page 10, column 4:

Experts on Sherlock Holmesiana may also find food for thought in the bullet that Dr. John H. [or James] Watson carried in his sturdy body.

1939 October 27, “A Line o’ Type or Two”, in Chicago Daily Tribune, volume XCVIII, number 257, page 12, column 3:

SHERLOCK HOLMESIANA / An Evening in Baker Street

1951 September 2, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, volume 103, number 346, St. Louis, Mo., page 4C:

Eve Titus has written a delightful book, “Basil of Baker Street” (Whittlessey House, McGraw-Hill), with the hope, she states, of attracting new readers to Sherlock Holmesiana.

1959 November 15, “Young Readers Should Enjoy Recent Books”, in The Chickasha Daily Express, 67th year, number 229, Chickasha, Okla., page seven, column 7:

‘Let me show you the original manuscript of “A Scandal in Bohemia,” ’ Alex said, and showed me glass-enclosed display case in lobby containing Sherlock Holmesiana.

1965 February 20, Lillian Ross, “Pitching for Holmes”, in The New Yorker, section “The Talk of the Town”; published in Talk Stories, New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, 1966, →LCCN, page 256:

Mr. French does not make the mistake, which some Wodehouse men do, of treating this branch of literature as if it were Sherlock Holmesiana.

1966 August 27, Douglas Johnson, “The Woosters Decoded”, in The Birmingham Post, number 33,642, page II, column 6:

He has one of the outstanding American collections of Eric Gill, G.K. Chesterton, Stephen Crane, William Faulkner, Francis Thompson, Lafcadio Hearn, Aldous Huxley, Sherlock Holmesiana and T.S. Eliot.

1970 November 12, “John Bennett Shaw to lecture on Sherlock Holmes cult at Stables”, in The Taos News, Taos, N.M., page 8, column 3:

SHERLOCK HOLMESIANA / Anthondy Douglas Howlett, a founding member and former chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, will speak on stage and screen portrayals of the famous sleuth at 7:30 p.m. in the MPC Theatre.

1976 March 4, “Calendar”, in The Carmel Pine Cone, page 19, column 1:

Ed’s hobbies include chamber music (viola) and Bohemian Club orchestra. Also Sherlock Holmesiana (Baker Street Irregulars).

1977 May, Whitworth Ferguson, Oscar Horovitz, “Classes”, in Technology Review, volume 79, number 6, page B6, column 3:

Doctor Ronchese was a Baker Street Irregular and gave his Sherlock Holmesiana material to the Library.

1977 October, Helen DeJong, “Doctor Ronchese”, in Rhode Island Medical Journal, volume 60, number 10, page 501, column 1:

Appendices the list 50 stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, biographies of Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, a selection of literary studies and reference works, and collections of Sherlock Holmesiana.

1986, Allen Eyles, Sherlock Holmes: A Centenary Celebration, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Row, →ISBN:

[…] The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centenary by his son Adrian Conan Doyle and a collection of Sherlock Holmesiana; […]

1979 September 22, The Sydney Morning Herald, number 44,235, page 52:

THE insatiable appetite for Sherlock Holmesiana is being delightfully fed by author M. T. Trow who is busy chronicling the adventures and the case[-]book of dear old bumbling Insp. Lestrade.

1986 May 10, PC, “Feckless flatfoot”, in Evening Telegraph, page six:

Exhibits at the festival abound, including children’s author Judy Delton’s manuscripts in Walter Library and a collection of Sherlock Holmesiana.

1988 September 4, Dave Wood, “Pending Festival of the Book promises volumes of activity”, in Star Tribune, volume VII, number 153, page 9F, columns 3–4:

[about the Leepers' r.a.b. FAQ list] […] POSTSCRIPT: This is not intended as a Leepers Bash; I delight in their Sherlock Holmesiana.

1992 February 27, Francis Muir, “rec.arts.books Frequently Asked Questions”, in rec.arts.books (Usenet):

[…] a load of books, Sherlock Holmesiana inc. an album of personal photos of A. Conan Doyle, […]

1993 August 5, The Sacramento Bee, volume 274, page D9:

The author often receives letters announcing the birth of babies named Kinsey, and Holt recently published G is for Grafton, a guide to the fictional universe of Kinsey Millhone as obsessive as any volume of Sherlock Holmes[-]iana.

2000, Jonathan Bing, editor, Writing for Your Life, volume 4, Pushcart Press, →ISBN, page 85:

Kaveney places Buffy academia in the context, not of other series which have acquired an intellectual edge to their cult-status, but of far older phenomena like Sherlock Holmesiana.

2004, Keith Topping, Slayer: The Last Days of Sunnydale, Virgin Books, →ISBN, page 77:

[…] a classical pianist and organist, he was a devotee of Gilbert and Sullivan, a scholar of Sherlock Holmesiana, and a fervent Trumper disciple.

2016, Gideon Haigh, Stroke of Genius: Victor Trumper and the Shot That Changed Cricket, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 251:

The first floor of Mystery, Inc. is American books; the second floor is British and foreign-language books, and Sherlock Holmesiana (an entire rear wall); […]

2016, Joyce Carol Oates, The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, Thorndike, Me.: Center Point Large Print, →ISBN, page 307:


Dr. Watsonish

Dr. Watsonish (comparative more Dr. Watsonish, superlative most Dr. Watsonish)

more Dr. Watsonish (comparative)
most Dr. Watsonish (superlative)

“How on earth could you tell it was his?” asked a Dr. Watsonish-kind of clerk with as much awe as if he were addressing Sherlock Holmes himself.

1908 May 24, “The Englishman’s Umbrella”, in The New York Times, volume LVII, number 18,383, New York, N.Y., part five, page 5, column 1:

To a cottage by the sea come a famous English detective and his very Dr. Watson[-]ish friend.

1929 June 23, “The Weekly Review—A Page About Books”, in Donald Davidson, editor, The Knoxville Sunday Journal, volume 5, number 48, Knoxville, Tenn.:

Charlie [Robinson] enlightens: […] “In my Dr. Watsonish way, I have rawther deducted that the policy of the Round Table might be summed up thusly: No regular meetings are scheduled, but as activities an occasions demand, the club is called together and I believe past history warrants the conclusion that they have done a better than average job of getting things done.[…]”

1942 February 11, Lee Russell, “Sittin’ in the Press Row with Lee Russell”, in The Idaho Daily Statesman, number 173, Boise, Ida., page eleven, column 1:

One of the most irritating auctorial devices is that of having a story told through the eyes of a character who takes no part in it, who merely looks and listens in a sort of Dr. Watsonish fascination.

1945 April 15, Mary-Carter Roberts, “Reviewing The New Books”, in The Sunday Star, number 2,089/36,871, Washington, D.C., pages C—3, column 1:

There was an easy power in Maxwell Knights’ professor, but Reg. Hubbard, as Pickering, tended to be too much a secondary character, a Doctor Watsonish yes-man rather than a character in his own right.

1950 October 18, M.S., “Civic Interest In Theatre Project: Melton’s “Pygmalion” Was A Town Occasion”, in Leicester Evening Mail, page eight:

I was flattered that he should consider me worthy of his acquaintance; I felt a certain Doctor Watson-ish admiration for the charm and confidence of his manner.

1961, Colin Wilson, Adrift in Soho, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company; Cambridge, Mass.: The Riverside Press, →LCCN, page 39:

Joseph Sedley, a Dr. Watsonish-type character, provided some chuckles.

1961 January 13, Bill Summers, “Becky Uses Charms To Climb, Plot”, in Orlando Evening Star, 85th year, number 9, Orlando, Fla., pages 6—B, column 1:

John Jericho has gained a Dr. Watsonish raconteur in Hugh Pentecost’s “Hide Her From Every Eye;” […]

1966 March 6, Frankie Matthesen, “The Courant Coroner”, in The Hartford Courant, volume CXXIX, number 65, Hartford, Conn., page 15, column 1:

Gwyllum Evans, as a kilted Dr. Watsonish commander who sees the warfare through his own fantasies, provides some with his bagpipe entrances and with one of the many great songs of the production.

1973 June 21, Paul Dellinger, “Barter’s ‘The Hostage’ Combines Stage Ploys”, in The Roanoke Times, volume 173, number 172, Roanoke, Va., page 46, column 3:

We then apprehend our criminals by a process of deduction and elimination in the true Sherlock Holmes’ manner, although if the truth be known most of us, including our policemen, are more Doctor Watsonish, and not clear, incisive Holmes types.

1978 June 18, Brian Roberts, “Farewell to Hawaii”, in Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, page F-3, column 2:

Robert Conrad’s tough, lady-killing Jim West and Ross Martin’s urbane, Dr. Watsonish Artemus Gordon were James Bond types 100 years before Bond’s era, technocratic super-spies in the Gilded Age of the American West (cheez — I’m starting to sound like Kevin Starr).

1979 May 9, Bill Mandel, “The $600 Man”, in San Francisco Examiner, 114th year, number 284, page 23, column 1:

In these pages, an astute Sherlock Holmesian character solves all kinds of mysteries with help from a somewhat inept Dr. Watsonish assistant.

1984 August 21, Deborah H. Williams, “Storytime”, in The Evening Press, Binghamton, N.Y., page 1C, column 1:

The voice of Boyle’s Doctor Watson-ish narrator is deadpan-perfect (“Beersley was known for his composure, his stoicism, his relentless pursuit of the evidence under even the most distracting circumstances”), but the spoofy plot quickly becomes a tedious joke.

1985 August 11, Ken Tucker, “GREASY LAKE By T. Coraghessan Boyle. Viking. $16.95”, in The Philadelphia Inquirer, volume 313, number 42, page 9, column 3:

There’s strong support from Bryan Pringle as an anarchic, gravel-voiced Alfred Doolittle and Michael Medwin as an agreeably Doctor-Watsonish Col Pickering, and the stamping ensemble dance routines during such great numbers as With a Little Bit of Luck and Get Me to the Church on Time exude an infectious exuberance.

1992 February 19, Charles Spencer, “A musical humming with ideas”, in The Daily Telegraph, number 42,504, page 16:

[…] Dr. Watsonish diagnostician Hamish Wakefield makes bull-headed statements but is easily offended, possibly due to being a closeted homosexual; […]

2009, Quill & Quire, volume 75, page 32, column 3:

Desolation Island, the fifth book in O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series (Stephen Maturin being the Captain’s phlegmatic, slightly Dr Watson-ish sidekick and confidante), follows Aubrey’s new charge, the HMS Leopard, on a voyage from England to Botany Bay in Australia.

2013 July 24, Pete Naughton, “Why radio trumped TV for royal baby coverage”, in The Daily Telegraph, number 49,192, page 30, column 2:

Resembling or characteristic of the character Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories.


Conan Doylish

Conan Doylish (comparative more Conan Doylish, superlative most Conan Doylish)

more Conan Doylish (comparative)
most Conan Doylish (superlative)

The impecunious position of the hero is cleverly sketched in the first pages; but the device that is resorted to by way of extricating him from it is deficient in true humour, even although it smacks of Conan Doylish ingenuity.

1894 May 5, William Wallace, “New Novels”, in The Academy. A Weekly Review of Literature, Science, and Art., volume XLV, number 1148, London: Publishing Office: […], page 368, column 2:

This proved satisfactory to us, but we cannot quite comprehend why Dr. Wood so strenuously objected to our frequently tying down his dip, so it would not run away; or hiding his book bag so as to give him some experience in using his latent Conan Doylish deduction.

1909 May, “A History of the Class of Nineteen Hundred and Nine”, in Pickout 1909: The Year Book of the Lowell Textile School, Lowell, Mass., page 33:

After years of reading of Sherlock Holmes, it was rather expected to see a few Scotland Yard men with double-peaked plaid caps and curved pipe stems. The Scotland Yard men are here, but they are not at all “Conan Doylish.” Instead, they are dressed in correct frock coats and tall hats in strict contrast to the American secret service men, who appear like men just out of a business office or commercial house.

1917 April 24, “Spirit of England Is Brought to U.S. Lobbies and Lounges of Washington Hotels Appear Like Halls of London.”, in The Champaign Daily News, volume XXII, number 229, Champaign, Ill., page twelve, column 3:

The sane dweller in the United States can hardly hope to succeed in the Conan Doylish task of looking at the Encyclopaedia Britannica as a British plot to deprive his mind of independence or to corrupt popular taste by some twenty expensive volumes, at their lightest, too heavy for his pocket.

1917 May, M. B. S., “Reviews: Misinforming a Nation. By W. H. Wright. […]”, in The Smith College Monthly, volume XXIV, number 7, pages 376–377:

Rose Macaulay, author of “Potterism,” “The Dangerous Age,” and “Orphan Island,” in an article in the London Nation and Athenæum, says: “The crude, stilted, Conan Doylish English of his detective stories goes far to bear out the common theory that Mr. Bramah has a literary dual personality.”

1925, The Literary Digest International Book Review, volume III, Funk & Wagnalls Company, page 553, column 1:

Mind, I don’t know or care a rap about spiritualism, though this may sound Conan Doylish.

1928, Godfrey Elton, Against the Sun, London: Constable & Co Ltd, page 52:

Ah, well, I must hear mamma out, — / How, using methods Conan Doylish, / So many doctors have no doubt / It’s Syndrom-e of Alfred Fröhlich.

1961 November 9, Park J. White, “It Ain’t Necessarily Fröhlich’s”, in The New England Journal of Medicine, volume 265, number 19, page 952, column 2:

Much of the plot—Stevensonian and Conan Doylish—is derived and formular: the author herself spoke of “lamentable lacunae . . . due to technical ignorance.”

1979, Ralph E. Hone, Dorothy L. Sayers: A Literary Biography, Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, →ISBN, page 42:

This old-fashioned narrative method (more 1913 than 1936) is immensely seductive in a Conan Doylish sort of way — especially when Condor turns out to have such a tale to tell.

1982, Books and Bookmen, page 37, column 1:

Anthony Burgess’s Enderby triology is now a tetralogy, with a new volume “Composed to placate kind readers of The Clockwork Testament, or Enderby’s End, who objected to my casually killing my hero.” But this is no basely motivated literary opportunism, no Conan Doylish grave-robbery to repossess an obvious winner.

1984 May 5, Keith Wilson, “Burgess raises Clockwork man from the dead”, in The Weekend Citizen, Ottawa, Ont., page 44:

Cheadle tapped Robinson’s last item with his pencil. ‘Spider webs?’ ‘A bit Conan Doylish, that one, sir.’ ‘Meaning you didn’t see any?’

1990, Russell Braddon, Funnelweb, London: Constable, →ISBN, page 127:

In the more Conan Doylish of these studies, literature is regarded as if it were the scene of some recent large-scale crime, littered with clues—fingerprints, bloodstains, dropped wallets, spent bullets—all capable of undergoing forensic examination, and of supporting some Holmesian hunch which might ultimately lead to the apprehension of a culprit, the narration of a real-life story more absorbing than the fictional one which had lightly covered it.

1997, Ian Donaldson, “Politic Picklocks: Reading Jonson Historically”, in Jonson’s Magic Houses: Essays in Interpretation, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 128:

Time for some pseudonyms. Can’t use X and Y – too Conan Doylish.

2002, Norman Lebrecht, The Song of Names, Review, →ISBN, page 13:

A wonderful setup of an opening chapter—Conan Doylish and yet quite stylish and Chabonesque in its own right.

2004 November 21, Alan Cheuse, “Michael Chabon’s deft tribute to novels of detection”, in Chicago Tribune, 158th year, number 326, section 14, page 4, columns 3–4:

“[…] You were born, what, more than 20 years before me and in those days there would have been quite a few people who would have brewed their own real ale. As for the amount you drink, it can’t be too much because you don’t have a beer belly. How is that for a little detective work of my own?” “Well, your reasons are a little, may I say, Conan Doylish. Sherlock Holmes may well have used the same reasoning but, unfortunately those twenty odd years you mentioned so cruelly may have had something to do with the fact that I can no longer tolerate the beer I so loved in my youth, which was of course… real ale![…]”

2020, Charles C Baines, The Grave Deception, →ISBN:

Resembling or characteristic of British writer and physician Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), who created the character Sherlock Holmes.


Conan Doylean

Conan Doylean (comparative more Conan Doylean, superlative most Conan Doylean)

more Conan Doylean (comparative)
most Conan Doylean (superlative)

Connie, at great length and with great patience, explained the difference between Conan Doylean and Shakespearian heroes.

1935 April 6, Malcolm D. Phillips, “When Friends Fall Out”, in Picturegoer, volume 4, number 202, page 8, column 2:

For a while I smoked away making rings in the air and then attempted a Conan Doylean approach. Necessarily a poor imitator of Sherlock Holmes, I said, ‘If I’m not mistaken, you’re not only rich but rolling in affluence. You make even your shortest trips in a car—you’re not used to going around on foot. You travel by air instead of boarding a train and when passing a night outside home, your place is a five-star hotel, not a railway retiring room. Right?’

1987, Diganta Rāẏa, Untold Stories of Shop-Lifters, New Delhi: National Publishing House, →ISBN, page 43:

Gaston Leroux is an early writer who spurns the Conan Doylean tradition and invents a detective with a doubting Thomas attitude toward material clues.

1990, Gillian Gill, Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries, The Free Press, →ISBN, page 39:

Thus, the Granada series became haunted by a ghoul of its own making, striving for the impossible dream of definitive, Conan Doylean episodes that dutifully brought Holmes to life for a later twentieth-century audience.

2011, Neil McCaw, Adapting Detective Fiction: Crime, Englishness and the TV Detectives, Continuum, →ISBN, page 39:

If Jabez Wilson is a Conan Doylean Everyman, Clay sheds some light on how Conan Doyle adapted real criminal history and lore. […] Sherlock—which, as of 2015, consisted of ten episodes released over four years—contains the essence of such Conan Doylean details, remixing them with modern techno-thriller plotting and mesmeric film techniques.

2015, Zach Dundas, The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Mariner Books, published 2016, →ISBN, pages 94 and 249:

The London edition appeared in November 1887—in another Conan Doylean coincidence, only a few days before Sherlock Holmes first appeared in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, which carried the novella A Study in Scarlet.

2017, Stephen Knight, Towards Sherlock Holmes: A Thematic History of Crime Fiction in the 19th Century World, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 161:


Holmesy

Holmesy (comparative more Holmesy, superlative most Holmesy)

more Holmesy (comparative)
most Holmesy (superlative)

There were detectives enough to populate a village. […] “Nothing Holmesy about those dicks,” he observed, sotto voce, to Rainfall. “They wouldn’t know a steamfitter from a country parson by his coat lapel;[…]”

1931, Vincent Starrett, Dead Man Inside, The Crime Club, Inc., page 57:

‘Look, it was the first holiday I’d ever had in my life and I wanted it to be a real holiday, a real rest. I didn’t want to spend it interrogating a girl just on the basis of a Holmesy hunch, did I? I was tired.’

1971, Adrian Mitchell, The Bodyguard, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., →LCCN, page 53:

According to him, believing that Sherlock Holmes is a detective and believing that Dr Watson is a detective amount to a certain three-place relation obtaining between the subject, the gappy detective proposition, and different ways of believing (cf. Braun 2002, 2005). Whatever it precisely means to believe a proposition in a Holmesy way (as opposed to a Watsony way), this proposal obviously will result in an unexpectedly large number of different ways of believing.

2014, Kathrin Glüer-Pagin, Peter Pagin, “Vulcan Might Have Existed, and Neptune Not: On the Semantics of Empty Names”, in Manuel García-Carpintero, Genoveva Martí, editors, Empty Representations: Reference and Non-Existence, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, part II (Accounts of Empty Representations), page 127: