Red herring

A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question.^[1] It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. A red herring may be used intentionally, as in mystery fiction or as part of rhetorical strategies (e.g., in politics), or may be used in argumentation inadvertently.^[2]

The term was popularized in 1807 by English polemicist William Cobbett, who told a story of having used a strong-smelling smoked fish to divert and distract hounds from chasing a rabbit.^[3]

^ "red herring, n." Oxford English Dictionary. OED Third Edition, September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
^ Red-Herring (15 May 2019). "Red Herring". txstate.edu. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ Dupriez, Bernard Marie (1991). A Dictionary of Literary Devices: Gradus, A–Z. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-6803-3.

[oed-1] "red herring, n." Oxford English Dictionary. OED Third Edition, September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.

[2] Red-Herring (15 May 2019). "Red Herring". txstate.edu. Retrieved 31 August 2021.

[3] Dupriez, Bernard Marie (1991). A Dictionary of Literary Devices: Gradus, A–Z. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-6803-3.

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