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My dear Watson

Posted by Bruce Kahl on February 22, 2000

In Reply to: My dear Watson posted by ahmet on February 21, 2000

: what is the meaning of the foolwing sentence?
: "Elementary,my dear Watson!"

This is a supposed quote by Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson." He has said ``Elementary" and `"My dear Watson," but never the two together in the original 60 stories written by Conan Doyle!
The quote may have been added by some Hollywood person in the making of some film.
The quote is Sherlock's response to an inquisitve Dr. Watson, his sidekick. It means to consider the simple or elementary answer to a problem.

Some of my favorite Sherlockian Quotes:

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. (The Sign of Four)

Circumstantial evidence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a trout in the milk, to quote Thoreau's example.

A loaf of bread and a clean collar. What does man want more? (The Hound of the Baskervilles)

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