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Quiz about The Art of Observation and Deduction

The Art of Observation and Deduction Quiz

This is a quiz on the small observations Sherlock Holmes makes on people and objects throughout the canon, and the facts about the person or item he deduces from it.

A multiple-choice quiz by Twotallgnome. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Twotallgnome

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
199,286

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
711

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 222 (4/10), Guest 112 (4/10), Guest 76 (5/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In "The Blue Carbuncle", how is Holmes able to tell from Henry Baker's hat that his wife does not love him anymore? Hint

The hat is stained with tallow

There are ink-stains on the hat

The hat-securer is broken

The hat is very dusty

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Question 2 of 10

2. In "The Yellow Face", Holmes examines a pipe. How can he tell that its owner values that particular pipe? Hint

The pipe has been meticulously cleaned after every use

He has kept it on a special pipe-rack

He has replaced the stem with one of genuine amber

The pipe has been broken twice, and repaired with silver bands

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Question 3 of 10

3. After studying a golden pince-nez left at a murder scene, how was Holmes able to tell that its owner had made two visits to the optician? Hint

The cork on the clips had been replaced separately

Both of the glasses had been replaced, within a month of each other

The pince-nez had been broken and mended on two occasions

The first time to get the glasses, then to replace them after they were lost

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Question 4 of 10

4. It was very clear to Holmes that Mr. Trevor, who had been involved with the "Gloria Scott", had been fearing for his life for the last year or so. Why? Hint

He had gotten a habit of patting his pocket where he kept his revolver

The head of his cane had been filled with lead

He had installed bullet-proof windows in his house

His boot had a bulge, revealing where he carried a hidden dagger

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Question 5 of 10

5. In "The Disappearance Of Lady Frances Carfax", Holmes can be certain that Watson shared a cab with someone earlier that morning. What gave Watson away? Hint

He had not bought a paper that morning

The mudstains on the side of his coat

The mud on his shoes

The distinct tobacco smell surrounding him

6. When Watson bought his practice in Paddington, just before "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk" he had a neighbour who also was a doctor. Holmes could see that Watson had gotten the best practice by what feature of the building? Hint

The new, expensive furniture spoke of a doctor who could afford luxuries

The pavement in front was worn from cab wheels

The front steps were more worn

A new doorbell on an old door indicated that the old bell had been worn out

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Question 7 of 10

7. Holmes knew right from the start the initials of Black Peter's murderer. Where did he find them? Hint

In the notebook that was lying in Peter's blood

On a sealskin tobacco pouch on Black Peter's table

On the letterhead of the letter Inspector Stanley summoned Holmes with

On the harpoon stand the murderer snatched his weapon from

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Question 8 of 10

8. The unhappy John Hector MacFarlane from "The Norwood Builder" was someone Holmes claimed to know nothing about, except that he was a bachelor, a Freemason, a solicitor and an asthmatic. What gave away the Freemasonry? Hint

A small charm on his watch-chain

The scar that was burned into his forearm

An arc-and-compass breastpin

The paper sticking out of his pocket

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Question 9 of 10

9. Miss Mary Sutherland gave away her business ("A Case of Identity") as a delicate love matter before she had even opened her mouth. How? Hint

She practically ripped the bell wire off when she rang the door

Her boots were mismatched, and half-buttoned

She was pacing back and forth on the pavement before entering 221 B

She had an ink-stain covering a tear in her glove

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Question 10 of 10

10. Watson decided at an early stage (just prior to the events described in "The Sign of Four") to challenge Holmes' skills in observation and logical deduction by handing him a gold watch and asking what he could deduce from it. Who was the original owner of this watch? Hint

Watson's brother

Watson's father

The victim in the Camberwell poisoning case

Victor Hatterley, the engineer with a severed thumb

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In "The Blue Carbuncle", how is Holmes able to tell from Henry Baker's hat that his wife does not love him anymore?

Answer: The hat is very dusty

"When I see you, my dear Watson, with a weeks' accumulation of dust upon your hat, and when your wife allows you to go out in such a state, I shall fear that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife's affection."

2. In "The Yellow Face", Holmes examines a pipe. How can he tell that its owner values that particular pipe?

Answer: The pipe has been broken twice, and repaired with silver bands

The costs of one individual mending had been higher than the original price of the pipe, so clearly he must value the pipe highly.

3. After studying a golden pince-nez left at a murder scene, how was Holmes able to tell that its owner had made two visits to the optician?

Answer: The cork on the clips had been replaced separately

The cork on one of the clips was discolored by sweat, while the other was completely new. The oldest one had not been attached for more than a few months, so she must have made two trips to the optician. This was of course, "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez".

4. It was very clear to Holmes that Mr. Trevor, who had been involved with the "Gloria Scott", had been fearing for his life for the last year or so. Why?

Answer: The head of his cane had been filled with lead

Holmes had noticed that Mr. Trevor had not had his walking stick more than a year, from the inscription on it. But he had taken the pains to bore out the head and fill it with lead, to make it a weapon.

5. In "The Disappearance Of Lady Frances Carfax", Holmes can be certain that Watson shared a cab with someone earlier that morning. What gave Watson away?

Answer: The mudstains on the side of his coat

The fact that the splashes were only on one side of the coat meant that Watson had been sitting to one side in the cab. Had he been alone he would have sat in the centre of the seat, and there would be no splashes, or at least symmetrical splashes on both sides.

Answer: The front steps were more worn

In fact, the steps to Watson's office were worn three inches deeper!

7. Holmes knew right from the start the initials of Black Peter's murderer. Where did he find them?

Answer: On a sealskin tobacco pouch on Black Peter's table

The initials on the pouch were "P.C.", and Black Peter, AKA Peter Carey, did not smoke and no pipe was found in his cabin. The pouch therefore had to belong to the killer, who by coincidence shared Captain Carey's initials.

Answer: A small charm on his watch-chain

The other points could be easily deduced from his shabby wardrobe, the legal papers he carried, and his breathing.

9. Miss Mary Sutherland gave away her business ("A Case of Identity") as a delicate love matter before she had even opened her mouth. How?

Answer: She was pacing back and forth on the pavement before entering 221 B

When a woman oscillated back and forth on the pavement before suddenly running to the door, it meant a delicate matter where she was grieved or confused. A wronged, angry woman did not pace, and usually meant a broken bell wire.

Answer: Watson's father

Watson had inherited the watch from his brother, but remember that this was a typical heirloom that was fifty years old. The initials "H.W." on the watch suggested to Holmes that it came from the Watson family, but as he knew that Watson's father died many years earlier, it had to mean that Watson had an older brother who had possessed the watch before him, and that his brother had inherited the watch from his father.

Source: Author Twotallgnome

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