Red herring - Wikipedia

Logical fallacy[edit]. As an informal fallacy, the red herring falls into a broad class of relevance fallacies. Unlike the straw man, which involves a ... Redherring FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Fallaciousapproachdevelopedasadiversiontomisleadtheaudience Thisarticleisabouttheidiomandthelogicalfallacy.Forthetypeofpreservedfood,seekipper.Forotheruses,seeRedherring(disambiguation). Inthemysterystory"AStudyinScarlet",detectiveSherlockHolmesexaminesacluewhichislaterrevealedtobeintentionallymisleading(i.e.,aredherring). Aredherringissomethingthatmisleadsordistractsfromarelevantorimportantquestion.[1]Itmaybeeitheralogicalfallacyoraliterarydevicethatleadsreadersoraudiencestowardafalseconclusion.Aredherringmaybeusedintentionally,asinmysteryfictionoraspartofrhetoricalstrategies(e.g.,inpolitics),ormaybeusedinargumentationinadvertently.[2] Thetermwaspopularizedin1807byEnglishpolemicistWilliamCobbett,whotoldastoryofhavingusedastrong-smellingsmokedfishtodivertanddistracthoundsfromchasingarabbit.[3] Contents 1Logicalfallacy 2Intentionaldevice 3Historyoftheidiom 3.1Real-worldusage 4Seealso 5References 6Externallinks Logicalfallacy[edit] Asaninformalfallacy,theredherringfallsintoabroadclassofrelevancefallacies.Unlikethestrawman,whichinvolvesadistortionoftheotherparty'sposition,[4]theredherringisaseeminglyplausible,thoughultimatelyirrelevant,diversionarytactic.[5]AccordingtotheOxfordEnglishDictionary,aredherringmaybeintentional,orunintentional;itisnotnecessarilyaconsciousintenttomislead.[1] Theexpressionismainlyusedtoassertthatanargumentisnotrelevanttotheissuebeingdiscussed.Forexample,"Ithinkweshouldmaketheacademicrequirementsstricterforstudents.Irecommendyousupportthisbecauseweareinabudgetcrisis,andwedonotwantoursalariesaffected."Thesecondsentence,thoughusedtosupportthefirstsentence,doesnotaddressthattopic. Intentionaldevice[edit] Infictionandnon-fictionaredherringmaybeintentionallyusedbythewritertoplantafalsecluethatleadsreadersoraudiencestowardsafalseconclusion.[6][7][8]Forexample,thecharacterofBishopAringarosainDanBrown'sTheDaVinciCodeispresentedformostofthenovelasifheisatthecentreofthechurch'sconspiracies,butislaterrevealedtohavebeeninnocentlydupedbythetrueantagonistofthestory.Thecharacter'snameisalooseItaliantranslationof"redherring"(aringarosa;rosaactuallymeaningpink,andveryclosetorossa,red).[9] Aredherringisoftenusedinlegalstudiesandexamproblemstomisleadanddistractstudentsfromreachingacorrectconclusionaboutalegalissue,intendedasadevicethattestsstudents'comprehensionofunderlyinglawandtheirabilitytoproperlydiscernmaterialfactualcircumstances.[10] Historyoftheidiom[edit] Herrings"kippered"bysmoking,saltingandartificiallydyeinguntilmadereddish-brown,i.e.,a"redherring".Priortorefrigerationkipperwasknownforbeingstronglypungent.In1807,WilliamCobbettwrotehowheusedakippertolayafalsetrail,whiletraininghuntingdogs—anapocryphalstorythatwasprobablytheoriginoftheidiom. ContinentalWar WhenIwasaboy,weused,inordertodrawoft'theharriersfromthetrailofaharethatwehadsetdownasourownprivateproperty,gettoherhaunt[11]earlyinthemorning,anddragared-herring,tiedtoastring,fourorfivemilesoverhedgesandditches,acrossfieldsandthroughcoppices,tillwegottoapoint,whencewewereprettysurethehunterswouldnotreturntothespotwheretheyhadthrownoff;and,thoughIwould,bynomeans,beunderstood,ascomparingtheeditorsandproprietorsoftheLondondailypresstoanimalshalfsosagaciousandsofaithfulashounds,Icannothelpthinking,that,inthecasetowhichwearereferring,theymusthavebeenmisled,atfirst,bysomepoliticaldeceiver. —WilliamCobbett,February14,1807,Cobbett'sPoliticalRegister,VolumeXI[12] Thereisnofishspecies"redherring",ratheritisanamegiventoaparticularlystrongkipper,madewithfish(typicallyherring)thathasbeenstronglycuredinbrineorheavilysmoked.Thisprocessmakesthefishparticularlypungentsmellingand,withstrongenoughbrine,turnsitsfleshreddish.[13]Inthisliteralsense,asastronglycuredkipper,thetermcanbedatedtothemid-13thcentury,inthepoemTheTreatisebyWalterofBibbesworth:"HeeteþnoffysshButheryngred."[14] Until2008,[13]thefigurativesenseof"redherring"wasthoughttooriginatefromasupposedtechniqueoftrainingyoungscenthounds.[13]Therearevariationsofthestory,butaccordingtooneversion,thepungentredherringwouldbedraggedalongatrailuntilapuppylearnedtofollowthescent.[15]Later,whenthedogwasbeingtrainedtofollowthefaintodourofafoxorabadger,thetrainerwoulddragaredherring(whosestrongscentconfusestheanimal)perpendiculartotheanimal'strailtoconfusethedog.[16]Thedogeventuallylearnedtofollowtheoriginalscentratherthanthestrongerscent.Avariationofthisstoryisgiven,withoutmentionofitsuseintraining,inTheMacmillanBookofProverbs,Maxims,andFamousPhrases(1976),withtheearliestusecitedbeingfromW.F.Butler'sLifeofNapier,publishedin1849.[17]Brewer'sDictionaryofPhraseandFable(1981)givesthefullphraseas"Drawingaredherringacrossthepath",anidiommeaning"todivertattentionfromthemainquestionbysomesideissue";here,onceagain,a"dried,smokedandsalted"herringwhen"drawnacrossafox'spathdestroysthescentandsetsthehoundsatfault."[18]AnothervariationofthedogstoryisgivenbyRobertHendrickson(1994)whosaysescapingconvictsusedthepungentfishtothrowoffhoundsinpursuit.[19] AccordingtoapairofarticlesbyProfessorGeraldCohenandRobertScottRosspublishedinCommentsonEtymology(2008),supportedbyetymologistMichaelQuinionandacceptedbytheOxfordEnglishDictionary,theidiomdidnotoriginatefromahuntingpractice.[13]Rossresearchedtheoriginofthestoryandfoundtheearliestreferencetousingherringsfortraininganimalswasinatractonhorsemanshippublishedin1697byGerlandLangbaine.[13]Langbainerecommendedamethodoftraininghorses(nothounds)bydraggingthecarcassofacatorfoxsothatthehorsewouldbeaccustomedtofollowingthechaosofahuntingparty.[13]Hesaysifadeadanimalisnotavailable,aredherringwoulddoasasubstitute.[13]ThisrecommendationwasmisunderstoodbyNicholasCox,publishedinthenotesofanotherbookaroundthesametime,whosaiditshouldbeusedtotrainhounds(nothorses).[13]Eitherway,theherringwasnotusedtodistractthehoundsorhorsesfromatrail,rathertoguidethemalongit.[13] Theearliestreferencetousingherringfordistractinghoundsisanarticlepublishedon14February1807byradicaljournalistWilliamCobbettinhispolemicalperiodicalPoliticalRegister.[13][20][12]AccordingtoCohenandRoss,andacceptedbytheOED,thisistheoriginofthefigurativemeaningofredherring.[13]Inthepiece,WilliamCobbettcritiquestheEnglishpress,whichhadmistakenlyreportedNapoleon'sdefeat.Cobbettrecountedthathehadonceusedaredherringtodeflecthoundsinpursuitofahare,adding"Itwasameretransitoryeffectofthepoliticalred-herring;for,ontheSaturday,thescentbecameascoldasastone."[13]Quinionconcludes:"Thisstory,and[Cobbett's]extendedrepetitionofitin1833,wasenoughtogetthefigurativesenseofredherringintothemindsofhisreaders,unfortunatelyalsowiththefalseideathatitcamefromsomerealpracticeofhuntsmen."[13] Real-worldusage[edit] AlthoughCobbettpopularizedthefigurativeusage,hewasnotthefirsttoconsiderredherringforscentinghoundsinaliteralsense;anearlierreferenceoccursinthepamphletNashe'sLentenStuffe,publishedin1599bytheElizabethanwriterThomasNashe,inwhichhesays"Next,todrawonhoundstoascent,toaredherringskinthereisnothingcomparable."[21]TheOxfordEnglishDictionarymakesnoconnectionwithNashe'squoteandthefigurativemeaningofredherringtodistractfromtheintendedtarget,onlyintheliteralsenseofahuntingpracticetodrawdogstowardsascent.[1] TheuseofherringtodistractpursuingscenthoundswastestedonEpisode148oftheseriesMythBusters.[22]Althoughthehoundusedintheteststoppedtoeatthefishandlostthefugitive'sscenttemporarily,iteventuallybacktrackedandlocatedthetarget,resultinginthemythbeingclassifiedbytheshowas"Busted".[23] Seealso[edit] Linguisticsportal Literatureportal Philosophyportal Listoffallacies§ Redherringfallacies Chekhov'sgun Chewbaccadefense Deadcatstrategy Decoy Falseflag Falsepositive TheFiveRedHerrings Foreshadowing Gardenpathsentence Ignoratioelenchi Judgmentallanguage MacGuffin Nonsequitur(fallacy) Plottwist Redherringprospectus Shaggydogstory Snipehunt(afool'serrandorwildgoosechase) TwelveRedHerrings References[edit] ^abcOxfordEnglishDictionary.redherring,n.Thirdedition,September2009;onlineversionDecember2011.http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/160314[deadlink];accessed18December2011.AnentryforthiswordwasfirstincludedintheNewEnglishDictionary,1904. ^Red-Herring(2019-05-15)."RedHerring".www.txstate.edu.Retrieved2021-08-31. ^Dupriez,BernardMarie(1991-01-01).ADictionaryofLiteraryDevices:Gradus,A-Z.UniversityofTorontoPress.ISBN 978-0-8020-6803-3. ^Hurley,PatrickJ.(2011).AConciseIntroductiontoLogic.CengageLearning.pp. 131–133.ISBN 978-0-8400-3417-5.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2017-02-22. ^Tindale,ChristopherW.(2007).FallaciesandArgumentAppraisal.CambridgeUniversityPress.pp. 28–33.ISBN 978-0-521-84208-2. ^Niazi,Nozar(2010).HowToStudyLiterature:StylisticAndPragmaticApproaches.PHILearningPvt.Ltd.p. 142.ISBN 978-81-203-4061-9.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2013-10-09.Retrieved2013-03-02. ^Dupriez,BernardMarie(1991).DictionaryofLiteraryDevices:Gradus,A-Z.TranslatedbyAlbertW.Halsall.UniversityofTorontoPress.p. 322.ISBN 978-0-8020-6803-3.Retrieved2013-03-02. ^Turco,Lewis(1999).TheBookofLiteraryTerms:TheGenresofFiction,Drama,Nonfiction,LiteraryCriticismandScholarship.UPNE.p. 143.ISBN 978-0-87451-955-6.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2013-10-09.Retrieved2013-03-02. ^Lieb,Michael;Mason,Emma;andRoberts,Jonathan(2011).TheOxfordHandbookoftheReceptionHistoryoftheBible.OxfordUniversityPress.p. 370.ISBN 978-0-19-967039-0.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2017-02-22.CS1maint:usesauthorsparameter(link) ^Sheppard,Steve(ed.)(2005).ThehistoryoflegaleducationintheUnitedStates :commentariesandprimarysources(2ndprint. ed.).Clark,N.J.:LawbookExchange.ISBN 978-1-58477-690-1.CS1maint:extratext:authorslist(link) ^haunt–Wiktionarydefineshauntasa"placeatwhichoneisregularlyfound;ahangout",butitcanalsomeana"feedingplaceforanimals",bothsenseswouldworkhere. ^ab"...weused,inordertodrawoft'theharriersfromthetrailofaharethatwehadsetdownasourownprivateproperty,gettoherhauntearlyinthemorning,anddragared-herring,tiedtoastring,fourorfivemilesoverhedgesandditches..."ForthefulloriginalstorybyCobbett,see"ContinentalWar"Archived2016-06-29attheWaybackMachineonpg.231–233ofPoliticalRegister,February14,1807.InCobbett'spoliticalregister,VolumeXI,1807Archived2016-08-03attheWaybackMachineatInternetArchive ^abcdefghijklmQuinion,Michael(2002–2008)."TheLureoftheRedHerring".WorldWideWords.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember4,2010.RetrievedNovember10,2010. ^Bibbesworth,Walterde(c.1250)FeminaArchived2017-12-30attheWaybackMachineTrinityCollege,CambridgeMSB.14.40.27.Anglo-NormanOn-LineHub,2005.ISBN 978-0-9552124-0-6. ^Nashe,Thomas.(1599)NashesLentenStuffeArchived2011-07-15attheWaybackMachine"Next,todrawonhoundstoasent,toareddeherringskinnethereisnothingcomparable."(SinceNashemakesthisstatementnotinaseriousreferencetohuntingbutasanasideinahumorouspamphlet,theprofessedaimofwhichistoextolthewonderfulvirtuesofredherrings,itneednotbeevidenceofactualpractice.Inthesameparagraphhemakesotherunlikelyclaims,suchasthatthefishdriedandpowderedisaprophylacticforkidneyorgallstones.) ^Currall,J.E.P;Moss,M.S.;Stuart,S.A.J.(2008)."Authenticity:aredherring?"(PDF).JournalofAppliedLogic.6(4):534–544.doi:10.1016/j.jal.2008.09.004.ISSN 1570-8683. ^Stevenson,Burton(ed.)(1976)[1948]TheMacmillanBookofProverbs,Maxims,andFamousPhrasesNewYork:Macmillan.p.1139.ISBN 978-0-02-614500-8 ^Evans,IvorH.(ed.)(1981)Brewer'sDictionaryofPhraseandFable(Centenaryedition,revised)NewYork:Harper&Row.p.549.ISBN 978-0-06-014903-1 ^Hendrickson,Robert(2000).TheFactsonFileEncyclopediaofWordandPhraseOrigins.UnitedStates:Checkmark. ^"Redherring",OxfordEnglishDictionary,Sense2. ^Nashe,Thomas(1599)PraiseoftheRedHerringArchived2011-07-15attheWaybackMachineIn:WilliamOldysandJohnMalham(Eds)TheHarleianmiscellanyArchived2017-12-30attheWaybackMachineVolume2,PrintedforR.Dutton,1809.Page331. ^MythBusters:Season9,Episode1–HairoftheDogatIMDb ^Episode148:HairoftheDogArchived2012-11-05attheWaybackMachine,Mythbustersresults.com Externallinks[edit] ThedictionarydefinitionofredherringatWiktionary vteFallacies(list)FormalInpropositionallogic Affirmingadisjunct Affirmingtheconsequent Denyingtheantecedent Argumentfromfallacy Inquantificationallogic Existential Illicitconversion Proofbyexample Quantifiershift Syllogisticfallacy Affirmativeconclusionfromanegativepremise Exclusivepremises Existential Necessity Fourterms Illicitmajor Illicitminor Negativeconclusionfromaffirmativepremises Undistributedmiddle Maskedman Mathematicalfallacy InformalEquivocation Equivocation Falseequivalence Falseattribution Quotingoutofcontext Loki'sWager NotrueScotsman Reification Question-begging Circularreasoning/Beggingthequestion Loadedlanguage Leadingquestion Compoundquestion/Loadedquestion/Complexquestion NotrueScotsman Correlative-based Falsedilemma Perfectsolution Denyingthecorrelative Suppressedcorrelative Illicittransference Composition Division Ecological Secundumquid Accident Converseaccident Faultygeneralization Anecdotalevidence Samplingbias Cherrypicking McNamara Baserate/Conjunction Doublecounting Falseanalogy Slothfulinduction Overwhelmingexception Ambiguity Accent Falseprecision Movingthegoalposts Quotingoutofcontext Slipperyslope Soritesparadox Syntacticambiguity Questionablecause Animistic Furtive Correlationimpliescausation Cumhoc Posthoc Gambler's Inverse Regression Singlecause Slipperyslope Texassharpshooter Appealstoemotion Fear Flattery Novelty Pity Ridicule Thinkofthechildren In-groupfavoritism Inventedhere/Notinventedhere Islandmentality Loyalty Paradeofhorribles Spite Stirringsymbols Wisdomofrepugnance GeneticfallaciesAdhominem Appealtomotive Association ReductioadHitlerum Godwin'slaw ReductioadStalinum Bulverism Poisoningthewell Tone Tuquoque Whataboutism Authority Accomplishment Ipsedixit Poverty/Wealth Etymology Nature Tradition/Novelty Chronologicalsnobbery Appealstoconsequences Argumentumadbaculum Wishfulthinking Otherfallaciesofrelevance Adnauseam Sealioning Argumenttomoderation Argumentumadpopulum Appealtothestone/Proofbyassertion Ignoratioelenchi Argumentfromanecdote Argumentfromsilence Invincibleignorance Moralistic/Naturalistic Motte-and-baileyfallacy Rationalization Redherring Twowrongsmakearight Specialpleading Strawman Cliché I'mentitledtomyopinion Category vteNarrativeCharacter Antagonist Antihero Archenemy Characterarc Characterflaw Characterization Deuteragonist Falseprotagonist Focalcharacter Foil Gothicdouble Narrator Protagonist Stockcharacter Straightman Supportingcharacter Titlecharacter Tragichero Tritagonist Plot Action Backstory Chekhov'sgun Cliché Cliffhanger Conflict Deusexmachina Dialogue Dramaticstructure Eucatastrophe Foreshadowing Flashback Flashforward Framestory Inmediasres Kishōtenketsu MacGuffin Occam'srazor Pace Plotdevice Plottwist Poeticjustice Redherring Reveal Self-fulfillingprophecy Shaggydogstory Storyarc Subplot Suspense Trope Setting Alternatehistory Backstory Crossover Dreamworld Dystopia Fictionallocation city country universe Utopia Worldbuilding Theme Irony Leitmotif Metaphor Moral Motif Style Allegory Bathos Comicrelief Diction Figureofspeech Imagery Mode Mood Narration Narrativetechniques Show,don'ttell Stylisticdevice Suspensionofdisbelief Symbolism Tone Structure Act Actstructure Three-actstructure Freytag'sPyramid Exposition/Protasis Risingaction/Epitasis Climax/Peripeteia Fallingaction/Catastasis Denouement/Catastrophe Linearnarrative Nonlinearnarrative films televisionseries Typesoffictionwithmultipleendings Form Cantastoria Comics Epic Fable Fabliau Fairytale Flashfiction Folktale Kamishibai Gamebook Legend Myth Novel Novella Parable Play Poem Screenplay Shortstory Talltales Vignette(literature) Genre Fiction Actionfiction Adventure Comic Crime Docufiction Epistolary Erotic Historical Mystery Nautical Paranoid Philosophical Picaresque Political Popculture Psychological Religious Rogue Romance Saga Satire Speculative Fantasy Gothic Horror Magicrealism Science Superhero Theological Thriller Urban Western Listofwritinggenres Non-Fiction Narration First-person Multiplenarrators Streamofconsciousness Streamofunconsciousness Unreliable Diegesis Self-insertion Tense Past Present Future Related Audience Author Creativenonfiction Fictionwriting Literaryscience Literarytheory Narratology Politicalnarrative Rhetoric Screenwriting Storytelling Tellability Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_herring&oldid=1057597196" 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