a red herring

المعنى

something that distracts attention from the real issue

ما يصرف الانتباه عن القضية الحقيقية.

أمثلة

1. 1The coloured mark was a red herring; a loose plug had actually caused the fault.
2. 2Don't let the discussion about uniforms become a red herring when we're here to discuss missing equipment.
3. 3The muddy footprint proved a red herring; it belonged to a visitor with no connection to the missing keys.
4. 4In the novel, the mysterious parcel was a red herring, drawing readers away from the real explanation.
5. 5That payment was a red herring; checking it distracted us from the real error in a different account.

القواعد

اسم معدود: a red herring، وجمعه red herrings. يأتي كثيرا بعد be أو turn out to be.

تعابير قريبة في المعنى