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The term comes from a technique used to throw tracking dogs off someone's trail. People would commonly preserve herring by salting and smoking it. This process turns the fish a reddish brown...and very pungent. So pungent in fact that a dog's sensitive nose picks it up all too easily, drawing it towards the fish instead. Dropping smoked herring behind your trail tended to distract all but the most well-trained dogs. Thus the term "red herring" for something intended to throw a person off a particular course of action.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe term â??red herringâ?? is an idiom used to refer to something that is distracting or is misleading when thereâ??s a more important matter at hand. Although the actual origin of the phrase is almost unknown, it is though that it came from an old hunting practice where the smell of a roasted kiper (a small fish) was used to divert the attention of the hounds when hunting, to avert their attention from the prey they were chasing.
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And beware of red herring?
"Red herring" is a slang term used to describe a bogus diversion. For example, if a person is being chased in the forest, they might offer their shoes to another person so that the other person will be tracked and not them.
How can you use red herring in a sentence?
"The city council is using the rezoning issue as a red herring to divert our attention from the budget deficit." "The report about rebels had been a red herring, because the attack had been staged by the dictator's own troops." "During the Watergate investigation, one promising lead turned out to be a red herring provided by the White House."
What is a red herring in a mystery?
A 'red herring' is a false lead or clue, intended to lead the investigators in the wrong direction.
What are the clues and red herring in the book Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy?
77CURIO is one of the clues in the book. The missing Honeymoon Jewels are clues, too. Not too certain who the red herring was, though.
What does the idiom 'red-herring ' mean?
In a crime or mystery story, the author will sometimes put in misleading information so that the reader or viewer is diverted away from guessing which character is the real villain. It is thought to come from the practice of hunting foxes with a pack of dogs, where a smelly fish is dragged across the trail of the fox in order to mislead the dogs.Although this can be a herring cured by salting and smoking, the actual fish used is more likely a kipper, which will take on a characteristically reddish hue.The term is more widely applied to deliberate disinformation, used as a diversion. For example, a politician might suggest a connection between his opponent and some fictitious illegal act, to occupy the investigative press and avoid revelations about his own activities.Something intended to divert attention from the real problem. A misleading clue.A distraction, something which you are meant to think has some relevance to the story line, but in fact means nothing.Something that draws attention away from the central issue, in a story.The English term 'red herring' has several distinct senses or meanings: 1: a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus; 2: any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue; 3: a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color
What does the term Red Herring mean in fallacies of critical thinking?
problem solving
What is the color of the herring in the idiom '-herring'?
It is a red herring.
And beware of red herring?
"Red herring" is a slang term used to describe a bogus diversion. For example, if a person is being chased in the forest, they might offer their shoes to another person so that the other person will be tracked and not them.
When was James Red Herring born?
James Red Herring was born on 1896-03-19.
When did James Red Herring die?
James Red Herring died on 1974-05-07.
Where Is The Red Herring RuneScape?
Use a herring on the grand tree.
How can you use red herring in a short sentence?
"The burgler placed her neighbors glove at the scene as a red herring."
How did Red Herring get that name and how does Red Herring in like a mystery book and Red Herring fish differ plus how are they related?
The red herring fish and the ones you hear about in mystery books are actually one in the same. A red herring (mystery) got it's name because in older times, when a crime was committed, police used dogs to follow a scent, and the criminal would drag a red herring to throw off the dog's sense of smell and lead the police in the wrong direction. A red herring in a mystery is designed to throw the reader off the real answer.
What is red herring in an Initial Public Offering?
Red herring is the Prospectus which converts into Red herring prospectus from Draft for red herring Prospectus after getting observations, and suggestions from SEBI, which is to filed and made available to SEBI, Stock Exchanges, and to Public, under the process of Initial Public Offering
How can you use red herring in a sentence?
"The city council is using the rezoning issue as a red herring to divert our attention from the budget deficit." "The report about rebels had been a red herring, because the attack had been staged by the dictator's own troops." "During the Watergate investigation, one promising lead turned out to be a red herring provided by the White House."
What is a sentence including red herring?
The first clue was a red herring, designed to intentionally detour the treasure hunters.
What is a red herring in a mystery?
A 'red herring' is a false lead or clue, intended to lead the investigators in the wrong direction.
