people sometimes use this expression humorously to say how easy something is to solve. Some people think that the phrase comes from the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes says this to his friend Watson when explaining how easy it is to understand something about a crime.

Did Sherlock Holmes say elementary?

Sherlock Holmes never said this line—at least, not the Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Though Holmes did say “elementary” and “my dear Watson” in books by Doyle, the world’s favorite detective never put the two together.

WHO said its elementary?

Scholars credit William Gillette as having originated the phrase with the formulation, “Oh, this is elementary, my dear fellow,” in his 1899 play Sherlock Holmes.

When did Sherlock say Elementary, my dear Watson?

1929
In the 1929 film The Return of Sherlock Holmes — the first with sound — the final lines of dialogue are: Watson: Amazing, Holmes! Holmes: Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary.

What is Sherlock Holmes catchphrase?

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most well-known literary characters, and while “Elementary, my dear Watson” is his most famous piece of dialogue, this specific phrase was not written by Arthur Conan Doyle, nor is it featured in any of the books.

How many times does Sherlock say elementary?

“Elementary,” said he. Beyond that, there are only 7 other instances of the word “elementary” being uttered in the official Sherlock Holmes works, though he does say “my dear Watson” numerous times, with the phrase appearing in about 2/3 of the stories, sometimes several times within a given story.

Was Elementary, my dear Watson ever said?

“Elementary, my dear Watson“, was never once uttered in the accepted canon of Sherlock Holmes, the line as we know it is actually a bastardized version of a bastardized version of a similar line used in an earlier Sherlock Holmes story.

How many times did Sherlock Holmes say Elementary, my dear Watson in total across all the books by Arthur Conan Doyle?

Did Sherlock Holmes ever say “elementary”?

Dear Quote Investigator: When Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes was explaining to his good friend John A. Watson the nature of his latest deduction he supposedly employed the well-known phrase: Elementary, my dear Watson. I was astonished to learn that Holmes never said this phrase in any of the canonical stories and novels.

What are some quotes from Sherlock Holmes that everyone should know?

Sherlock Holmes Quotes. “My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know.” “What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.” “Elementary,” said he.” “My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation.

Why did Sherlock Holmes call his deductions “elementary” deductions?

Holmes did use the word “elementary” when describing his deductions to Watson, and QI believes that the phrase evolved from memories of the tales. The July 1902 citation contained a close but inexact match, and the August 1909 citation included an exact match.

Is “Elementary my dear Watson” a Doylean quote?

[BLAN] To anyone who has heard of Sherlock Holmes, “Elementary, my dear Watson” is always the quotation. Sherlockians know that the phrase is not a Doylean original, but still we have placed it together with the deerstalker and the curved pipe on our sacred canonical mantelpiece.