C1idiomcommunicationIELTS-friendly
a red herring
USUK
a fact or idea that takes attention away from the real issue
Used in debates and in crime stories. It suggests the distraction may be deliberate.
In context
The question about his age was a red herring; the real issue was his salary.
In the novel, the missing key turns out to be a red herring.
More idioms about communication
- a bone of contentiona subject that people keep arguing about
- a broken recordsomeone who keeps repeating the same thing in an annoying way
- a heart-to-heartan honest, private conversation about personal feelings
- a moot pointUK: a question still open to argument. US: a question that no longer matters in practice.
- a slip of the tonguea small mistake in what you say, made without meaning to