A common silver-colored fish found in the ocean, often eaten smoked or pickled, or a distraction from the real issue (red herring).
From Old High German 'hering,' possibly related to 'heer' meaning army or multitude, referring to the fish's tendency to swim in huge schools. The 'red herring' phrase comes from hunting practices where smoked fish were used to distract dogs.
A 'red herring' in logic and mystery solving comes from actual hunting—hunters would drag smoked herrings across a trail to train hunting dogs to follow false scents! This 400-year-old trick became our term for any fake clue.
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