Red herring facts for kids

This is a "red herring" fish, which is a herring that has been smoked and salted until it turns reddish-brown. This type of fish was known for its strong smell. The phrase "red herring" might have come from a story by William Cobbett in 1807, where he used a strong-smelling fish to distract hunting dogs.

A red herring is something that tricks you or takes your attention away from the main point. It's like a distraction that makes you think about something else instead of what's really important.

People use red herrings in two main ways. One way is during an argument or discussion. Someone might use a red herring to avoid answering a difficult question. For example, if a reporter asks a politician if they used public money for personal things, the politician might start talking about how important it is to pay government workers more. They would be trying to change the subject instead of answering the question directly.

The second way a red herring is used is in stories, especially mystery books. It's a trick used by writers to make readers or viewers think something is true when it's not. This makes the story more exciting and keeps you guessing. For instance, a character in a mystery might have a weapon that looks like the one used in a crime. This makes you suspect them, but later you find out they weren't the criminal. The weapon was just a red herring, meant to mislead you.

Where Did the Phrase "Red Herring" Come From?

For a long time, many people thought the phrase "red herring" came from an old hunting trick. They believed hunters used strong-smelling smoked fish, called kippers, to train dogs to follow a scent. Or, they thought hunters might have used them to distract dogs from the right path during a hunt.

However, most experts today believe the phrase probably started in 1807. An English writer named William Cobbett might have invented it. He wrote about a time he used a kipper to distract dogs that were chasing a hare. It seems hunters didn't actually use kippers to train dogs in real life. Later, people started using the phrase "red herring" to describe the trick in arguments and stories.

Images for kids

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  In the famous mystery story "A Study in Scarlet", the detective Sherlock Holmes looks at a clue that later turns out to be a red herring. It was put there on purpose to trick him.

See also

In Spanish: Red herring para niños