1. red herring - Noun
2. red herring - Phrase
a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus
any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color
Source: WordNetShe is nether fish nor flesh, nor good red herring. John Heywood
That's America for you - a red herring culture, always scared of the wrong things. The fact is, there are a lot of creepy middle-aged men out there lusting for your kids. They work for MTV, the pharmaceutical industry, McDonald's, Marlboro and K Street. Bill Maher
I'm kind of ashamed to be a celebrity. I don't understand wanting to read about other people's dirty laundry. I think celebrity is the biggest red herring society has ever pulled on itself. Jude Law
3523. Neither Fish, nor Flesh, nor good red Herring. Thomas Fuller (writer)
I knew with The West Wing that that wasn't going to be for very long, that I was just the red herring. William Devane
Neither fish, flesh nor good red herring. English Proverb