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Miscellaneous
What's the origin of the term red herring?
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According to almanac.com, the expression originated in British fox-hunting circles around 1686. A British magazine published an article stating an effective way to prolong a fox hunt was to drag a dead cat, or red herring, across the trail to mask the fox’s scent and confuse the hounds.
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According to Wikipedia,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.
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