IYKYK: The Compliments of the Season

 

I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of the season. He was lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing-gown, a pipe-rack within his reach upon the right, and a pile of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied, near at hand. Beside the couch was a wooden chair, and on the angle of the back hung a very seedy and disreputable hard felt hat, much the worse for wear, and cracked in several places. --"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"

It is that time again, the "compliments of the season" time.  During this festive time of year Sherlockians use the phrase as a happy greeting. It is one of the favorite lines among the many in our community language--a language built upon IYKYK. And isn't that knowing grand in its own small way? Sherlockiana may be a minuscule thing relative to the entire planet but that hardly matters. IYKYK and you can be a part of a community, small or otherwise, that is, in my experience, about 90% warm, welcoming, and fun. And if the other 10% is hurtful at times, it can be "worth many wounds - to know the depth of loyalty and love" when the 90% comes to your defense.  

Canon language is part of who I am now. At least twice in the last week, Sherlockian language has made me happy. First instance: Sometimes I forget and use it outside the community and the sound of Watson's words will often make another person stop, think about what I said, and then question me about it.  I was in a craft class where we were discussing some of the various end products, and specifically some which proved to be over done to the point of tackiness. I said something to the effect of "They should have listened to Sherlock Holmes; they obviously lacked 'the grand gift of the artist.'" The statement resulted in a nice conversation about Holmes and craft. I loved it. 

I also loved it this week when a fellow Sherlockian living  across the pond sent me a Christmas card with a funny pun. Of course the pun worked because he knew I would understand a pun derived from a "three-pipe problem." I have the card sitting on the mantle and I laugh every time I walk by it. Compliments of the season indeed--the warm fuzzy feelings will probably last beyond the season.

I know I'm being sentimental; unlike Holmes, I'm not "immune from sentiment" and no doubt he would hardly approve of what I've written here. He would find it to be a waste of time. He would think any study of his work should be "an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner." Well, he is wrong about that. 

Just whisper "Norbury." IYKYK.

...

In Hot Water with Watson

 

 "Because for the last few days I have been feeling rheumatic and old.  A Turkish bath is what we call an alterative in medicine - a fresh starting-point, a cleanser of the system."--Dr. Watson, "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax"

 "Both Holmes and I had a weakness for the Turkish bath.  It was over a smoke in the pleasant lassitude of the drying room that I found him less reticent and more human than anywhere else."-- Dr. Watson, "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client"

Being a person who always wants a hot bath, I'm inordinately fond of Watson's talk about the Turkish baths in LADY and ILLU. I saw the Granada production pictured above long before I actually read either story. The idea of the two in the bath made me laugh every time I watched the episode. (Still does.) But, after reading the two stories many times over in the many years since, I've come to realize the Turkish bath means more to me: I think this bath business is a perfect example of Watson leading Holmes, something which doesn't occur too often in the Canon, especially not in the early days.

The timing for the bath mentions is not the early days; Holmes and Watson have been together for awhile by the events of these two stories. The date for ILLU seems as straightforward as Canon dating ever gets:  "... On the upper floor of the Northumberland Avenue establishment there is an isolated corner where two couches lie side by side, and it was on these that we lay upon September 3, 1902, the day when my narrative begins." The dating of LADY is, like most Canon dating, all over the place with the major chronologists arguing for dates between 1890-1901.

Like many of the chronologists, I choose to believe the events in LADY precede ILLU. I don't have any intricate reasons; Watson's words explaining why he wants a Turkish bath make more sense coming before Watson's declaration about the joint excursions to the bath house. 

Tracy's The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana  describes these baths as:

Turkish bath, a kind of bath introduced from the East, in which the subject, after having undergone copious perspiration in a heated room, is subjected to various processes such as soaping, washing, and massaging, and ultimately proceeds to an outer apartment called a drying-room where he is placed on a couch to cool.

Sounds wonderful to me. In my head canon, Watson encouraged Holmes to go and enjoy the benefits of his alterative medicine and Holmes agreed, apparently finding the experience enjoyable enough to make it a regular practice. Watson's alterative is certainly better for the body  (and spirit) than Holmes's seven-percent solution of the early days. I especially like the idea of Holmes being so relaxed he gets chatty and "more human." 

In the  idiom, to get "into hot water" usually means to get into trouble, and we know Watson follows Holmes often enough into that kind of hot water. I like the idea of Holmes following Watson into a good kind.  My thoughts about the baths and what they represent in the cooperation between Holmes and Watson are hardly new or important but they give me warm, fuzzy feelings, which are very welcome now when the days can often feel cold and hard. 

Not everything about Holmes and Watson has to be scholarly or incisive. Sometimes things can just be comfortable.

Now, I'm off to take a hot bath, grateful I am able to do so, and grateful to have my warm fuzzy Holmes and Watson feelings to go with because "...for the last few days I have been feeling rheumatic and old," too. I hear you Watson. You have no idea what I would give to be on one of those side by side couches.