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.
Example Sentences
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 Finally, the small amount of money that Hasidic schools receive from the public-school system is a red herring. 
WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 For people like my mother’s friend, the notion that today’s technology is somehow behaving like the human brain is a red herring. New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 But Greif’s initial praise is more than a red herring. Nicole Acheampong, The Atlantic, 8 July 2022 Here, Cruz and others resort to a red herring to deflect attention from their main concern; abortions of any kind and at any time during a pregnancy. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 2 June 2022 Even Mary’s backstory is left as a tantalizing red herring. Clea Simon, BostonGlobe.com, 26 May 2022 Doctors and reproductive rights advocates will tell you the issue of Down syndrome is a red herring. Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022 Twitter, in its lawsuit, says the spam/bot issue is a red herring and that Musk is backing out because the stock market decline has made the deal more expensive for him personally. Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 July 2022 His focus may be a red herring, as there’s been no violence thus far against Ohio centers. cleveland, 28 June 2022 See More
WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 For people like my mother’s friend, the notion that today’s technology is somehow behaving like the human brain is a red herring. New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 But Greif’s initial praise is more than a red herring. Nicole Acheampong, The Atlantic, 8 July 2022 Here, Cruz and others resort to a red herring to deflect attention from their main concern; abortions of any kind and at any time during a pregnancy. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 2 June 2022 Even Mary’s backstory is left as a tantalizing red herring. Clea Simon, BostonGlobe.com, 26 May 2022 Doctors and reproductive rights advocates will tell you the issue of Down syndrome is a red herring. Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022 Twitter, in its lawsuit, says the spam/bot issue is a red herring and that Musk is backing out because the stock market decline has made the deal more expensive for him personally. Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 July 2022 His focus may be a red herring, as there’s been no violence thus far against Ohio centers. cleveland, 28 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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)