a red herring

含义

something that distracts attention from the real issue

转移对真正问题注意力的东西.

例句

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.

语法

可数：a red herring，复数 red herrings。常用在 be 或 turn out to be 之后。

意思相近