red herring
A herring that is cured in smoke and brine strong enough to turn the flesh redA herring that is cured in smoke and brine strong enough to turn the flesh red; a type of kipper.
» It's a red herring.
Das ist ein Ablenkungsmanöver.
Это отвлекающий манёвр.
Meaning
4 sensesA herring that is cured in smoke and brine strong enough to turn the flesh red; a type of kipper.
(figuratively)A clue, information, argument, etc. that is or is intended to be misleading, diverting attention from the real answer or issue.
falsche Fährte, Nebelkerze, Ablenkung
ло́жный следlóžnyj sled, заговаривание зубовzagovarivanije zubov
any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
A red herring prospectus.
Bückling
копчёная селёдкаkopčónaja seljódka
(archaic, slang)A soldier.
Examples
7 sentencesIt's a red herring.
ruЭто отвлекающий манёвр. — odexed
deDas ist ein Ablenkungsmanöver. — raggione
That's a red herring.
ruЭто отвлекающий манёвр. — odexed
I really feel it's a red herring.
ruЯ реально чую, что это отвлекающий маневр. — noneim
The police followed a red herring while they let the true criminal escape.
ruПолиция повелась на отвлекающий маневр, пока настоящие преступники убегали. — Lili691
The footwear the murderer left at the crime scene was a red herring.
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
Origin
(figurative): One possible origin of the idiom was that red herring were used to train dog(figurative): One possible origin of the idiom was that red herring were used to train dogs to track scents. This was true, but the modern meaning of a false trail may have been popularized in a news story by English journalist William Cobbett, c. 1805, in which he claimed that as a boy he used a red herring (a cured and salted herring) to mislead hounds following a trail; the story served as an extended metaphor for the London press, which had earned Cobbett's ire by publishing false news accounts regarding Napoleon. The OED has another possible earlier origin in the legacy of clergyman Jasper Mayne in 1672 when he misled a servant by leaving him "Somewhat that would make him Drink after his Death" in a large trunk. When the trunk was opened, the contents were found to be red herring.
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Forms
plural: red herrings / red herring| Singular | red herring |
|---|---|
| Plural | red herrings / red herring |
regular
Synonyms
3 synonyms- a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color:smoked herring
- a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus:preliminary prospectus
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular