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--- rhetoric:red_herrings:index [25.07.25, 12:23:42] – admin
+++ rhetoric:red_herrings:index [16.04.26, 20:27:34] (current) – [Origins of the name] admin
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ==== Origins of the name ====
-The term “red herring” refers to a kind of marinated fish that was used in training [[wp>Scent hound|scent hounds]]. Their trainer would taint a scent trail with the pungent smelling food in order to teach them not to be distracted.
+There is a widespread misunderstanding that "red herring" was supposedly used in training [[wp>Scent hound|scent hounds]], where the dog trainer would use the pugent smell of marinated fish to taint a scent trail, in order to teach the dogs not to be distracted. However, it seems that neither is or was this ever a common practice, nor how the expression came into being.
+Instead the origin of the term seems to be that this story was pointed out as a good example of false information that distracts from the real facts. Subsequently, other distractions became also known as "red herrings".
 ===== Description =====

Fallacies Online