red herring

noun

1

: a herring cured by salting and slow smoking to a dark brown color

2

[from the practice of drawing a red herring across a trail to confuse hunting dogs] : something that distracts attention from the real issue

Did you know?

Believe it or not, red herring has as much to do with hunting dogs as with brightly colored fish. Here's how: A herring is a soft-finned bony fish. People who like to eat herring have long preserved them by salting and slowly smoking them. That process makes a herring turn red or dark brown - and gives them a very strong smell. Dogs love to sniff such smelly treats, a fact that makes the fish a perfect diversion for anyone trying to distract hunting dogs from the trail of their quarry. The practice of using preserved fish to confuse hunting dogs led to the use of the term red herring for anything that diverts attention from the issue at hand.

Examples of red herring in a Sentence

The argument is a red herring. It actually has nothing to do with the issue.

The plot of the mystery was full of red herrings.

Recent Examples on the Web

The red herring involves the presence of ash — which seems to indicate that volcanic activity played a role. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Even the red herrings wound up important to character development and/or plot points. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024

Perfectly calibrated to inspire post-screening debates over whether character X or Y is guilty, When Fall Is Coming dispenses clues and red herrings masterfully but always holds just a little something back. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024

There are some red herrings that almost tripped me up. —Kris Holt, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

red herring

noun

: something intended to distract attention from the real problem

Legal Definition

red herring

noun

red her·​ring

ˌred-ˈher-iŋ

: a preliminary prospectus (as for the sale of securities) that is not yet approved by the appropriate body (as the Securities and Exchange Commission)

Etymology

red herring something that distracts attention from the main issue, diversion