Herring
Common English surname
Herring is a small, oily fish found in large schools in northern Atlantic and Pacific waters.
It has been a staple food for centuries, eaten fresh, smoked, pickled, or salted: pickled herring, kippered herring.
A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from the main issue—from the practice of using strong-smelling smoked herring to throw hunting dogs off a scent.
Swift, oily ocean fish
- sardineSmall herring-family fish
- anchovySmall, salty forage fish
- spratSmall herring-family fish
- pilchardSmall edible sea fish
shad · cod · haddock · whitefish · smelt · menhaden · alewife · kipper
Preserved in acidic solution
- smokedExposed to wood fumes
- saltedTreated with sodium chloride
- curedRestored to health
- kipperedPreserved by smoking
marinated · rollmop · schmaltz · soused · gravlax · brined · vinegar · onion
Window's bottom ledge
Baltic · midsummer · smorgasbord · aquavit · Scandinavian · mustard sauce · crispbread · fishing villages
Thing diverting one's attention
- misleadingCausing false beliefs
- diversionRedirection of attention
- fallacyError in reasoning
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
decoy · false trail · detective · mystery · plot device · smokescreen · clue · ruse
mackerel
Swift, oily ocean fish
pilchard · shad · cod · haddock · whitefish · smelt · menhaden · alewife · kipper · bloater
pickled
Preserved in acidic solution
kippered · marinated · rollmop · schmaltz · soused · gravlax · brined · vinegar · onion · cream sauce
sill
Window's bottom ledge
Dutch · Baltic · midsummer · smorgasbord · aquavit · Scandinavian · mustard sauce · crispbread · fishing villages · North Sea
distraction
Thing diverting one's attention
- misleadingCausing false beliefs
- diversionRedirection of attention
- fallacyError in reasoning
misdirection · decoy · false trail · detective · mystery · plot device · smokescreen · clue · ruse · deception
fishing
Catching aquatic creatures
trolling · striped bass · tuna · shark · halibut · lure · hook · casting · sportfishing · commercial
Herringsmoking gun
Irrefutable proof of wrongdoing
proof · revelation · breakthrough · clincher · dead giveaway
Herringsmoking gun
Irrefutable proof of wrongdoing
- red herringIntentional misleading distraction
- pickled herringCured small ocean fish
- smoked herringFish preserved by curing
- herring gullLarge gray-and-white coastal gull
- salted herringBrine-cured ocean fish
- kippered herringCured, smoked small fish