red herring (plural red herrings)

1. A herring that is cured in smoke and brine strong enough to turn the flesh red; a type of kipper.

   • Up in the morning, and had some red herrings to our breakfast, while my boot-heel was a-mending, by the same token the boy left the hole as big as it was before.

2. (figuratively) A clue, information, argument etc. that is or is intended to be misleading, diverting attention from the real answer or issue.
3. (finance) A red herring prospectus.

• French: hareng saur
• German: Bückling
• Italian: aringa affumicata
• Russian: копчёная селёдка

• French: diversion, leurre
• German: falsche Fährte, Nebelkerze (figurative), Ablenkung (general)
• Italian: falsa pista, (idiomatic) specchietto per le allodole
• Portuguese: pista falsa
• Russian: ло́жный след
• Spanish: pista falsa