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Holmes makes a reference to an individual he referred to as the "Evil One" in "The Adventure Of Charles Augustus Milverton", though without explicitly naming him:

...He is as cunning as the Evil One.

Exactly who is the "Evil One", and what is his significance in the Sherlock Holmes series?

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  • I wasn't sure if that was a moniker for someone specifically within the Sherlock Holmes series. Thanks! Nov 2, 2021 at 20:08

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To ensure that there is an answer, "The Evil One" is a euphemism for the Devil, likely under the superstitious idea that speaking the name of a being might invoke or invite it, the same reason that the word "bear" ("the brown one") became popular, and the original Germanic word for the creature is now unknown.

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