THE GREEK INTERPRETERS

   Spring Meeting: May 9th, 2012, Country Club of Lansing



The Red-Headed League


An Acrostic prepared by The Chemist

The first letter of each correct answer, read vertically, will form a phrase.

1. The lower age limit for eligibility in the Red Headed League: _______   (2 wrd, 6, 3 ltrs)

2. Inspector Jones to Watson, "We're _______ in couples again, Doctor. "   (1 wrd, 7 ltrs)

3. The age appearance of Holmes' fiery-haired guest: ______   (1 wrd, 7 ltrs).

4. Jabez Wilson's eyes were small and ______ .   (2 wrd 3, 9 ltrs).

5. Jabez Wilson's was heavy and brassy ______ :  (2 wrd 6, 5 ltrs).

6. John Clay's Bank target: ______:  (3 wrd, 4, 3, 8 ltrs).

7. John Clay is a murderer, forger, smasher and ______ :  (1 wrd 5 ltrs).

8. ______ was playing at St. James Hall.  (1 wrd 8 ltrs).

9. Not a comic or a homophone cockroach, the other bank robber was ______ :  (1 wrd, 6 ltrs).

10. What Holmes asked Watson to put in his pocket: ______ :  (1 wrd 8 ltrs).

11. What this case saved Holmes from: ______  (1 wrd 5 ltrs).

12. The number of gold napoleons borrowed from the Bank of France: ______   (2 wrd 6, 8 ltrs).

13. "This is a time for ______ , not for talk."   (1 wrd 11 ltrs).

14. Jones' opinion of Holmes' methods: "a little too ______ and fantastic."  (1 wrd, 11 ltrs).

15. What Holmes took from the rack in his room ;______ : (3 wrd 5, 7, 4 ltrs).

16. John Clay spent some of his early years here: ______  (1 wrd 4 ltrs).

17. Holmes lounged in an armchair with his ______.   (3 wrd 5, 6, 8 ltrs).

18. A Wealthy but peculiar American: ______   (2 wrd 7 ltrs each).

19. Not Groucho's captain, but the pawnbroker's assiatant: ______  (1 wrd 9 ltrs).

20. The end of a Flaubert quote: "...l'oeuvre c'est ______ "  (1 wrd 4 ltrs).

21. The nature of the words with which Holmes parted from Watson: ______   (1 wrd 7 ltrs).

22. Jabez Wilson's breastpin showed him to be a ______ .   (1 wrd, 9 ltrs).

23. William ______, the solicitor at 17 King Edward St. near St. Paul, not the agency.   (1 wrd 6 ltrs).

24. Jabez Wilson ______ with pain when his hair was pulled.   (1 wrd, 6 ltrs).

25. Duncan Ross thought it unfortunate that Jabez Wilson was a ______ .  (1 wrd, 8 ltrs).

26 The source from which Jabez Wilson spent weeks copying: ______   (2 wrd, 12, 10 ltrs).

27. Where we must go for "strange effects and extraordinary combinations": ______:  (2 wrd, 4, 6 ltrs).

28. "You must find your own ______ , pen and blotting paper."   (1 wrd, 3 ltrs).

29. John Clay's were pierced: ______   (1 wrd, 4 ltrs).

30. Jabez Wilson's was not "over clean": ______   (1 wrd, 9 ltrs) or (2 wrd, 5, 4 ltrs).

31. Holmes and Watson traveled by ______ as far as Aldersgate.   (1 wrd 11 ltrs).

32. Watson left home for Baker Street at quarter past ______ : (1 wrd 4 ltrs).

33. Holmes regarded Jones as an "absolute ______ in his profession."   (1 wrd, 8 ltrs).

34. The type of pen purchased by Jabez Wilson: ______  (1 wrd 5 ltrs).

35. "You reasoned it out beautifully", Watson exclaimed in ______ admiration.  (1 wrd 9 ltrs).

36. It is Holmes' hobby to have an ______ knowledge of London.  (1 wrd, 5).


View Answers


1. twenty one
2. hunting
3. elderly
4. fat encircled
5. Albert chain
6. City and Suburban
7. thief
8. Sarasate
9. Archie
10. revolver
11. ennui
12. thirty thousand
13. observation
14. theoretical
15. heavy hunting crop
16. Eton
17. black letter editions
18. Ezekiah Hopkins
19. Spaulding
20. tout
21. ominous
22. freemason
23. Morris
24. yelled
25. bachelor
26. Encyclopedia Britannica
27. life itself
28. ink
29. ears
30. frockcoat
31. underground
32. nine
33. imbecile
34. quill
35. unfeigned
36. exact

The Facts Are, To The Best Of My Belief, Unique.