Three famous quotes from Sherlock Holmes stories?

Answer 1

I believe it was a methodology to determine if a crime had been committed, and way to not automatically jump to that conclusion. But I could have this completely wrong:

Example - you come home, and the vase of flowers is knocked over, and there's a puddle of water on the floor.

1) Can the facts be explained by natural law? If the window was open, it's possible the wind knocked the vase over. Or an earthquake could have occured. If natural law runs contrary to the facts (i.e. the window was closed and there were no earthquakes), go to 2.

2) Can the facts be explained by chance? Some things just happen sometimes, but it's rather unlikely that the vase randomly decided to fall over, so go to 3.

3) Can the facts be explained by design? That is, did someone plan and execute a crime here? Was there a motive, and an action? Prehaps our naughty Simaese cat has knocked the vase over to get at the fresh water inside? Clever plan, and an inspection of the wood floor shows the tell-tale wet pawprints. Elementary, my dear Ruckus!

- Justin Snow

Answer 2

This exchange between Holmes and Inspector Gregory in 'Silver Blaze':

"Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"

"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."

"The dog did nothing in the night-time."

"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

From 'The Adventure of the Second Stain: "Now, Watson, the fair sex is your department, . . ."

From 'The Naval Treaty':

"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion," said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. "It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."

Answer 3

Gladly! Here they are:

"'How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?'"

- Sherlock Holmes, "The Sign of The Four"

"'Excellent!' I cried.

'Elementary,' said he."

- John Watson, "The Crooked Man"

(Sherlock Holmes never said 'Elementary, my dear Watson' in any of the stories by Conan Doyle. However, that phrase has been used frequently in the movies and was even mistakenly cited in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations for 1937 and 1948.)

"'You know my methods, Watson.'"

- Sherlock Holmes, "The Crooked Man"

(This is here because it makes at least five appearances throughout the Holmes saga.)

Hope that helps, from PNEROX!

Answer 4

Elementary, my dear Watson and The game is afoot.