Talk:Red herring

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Definition: A literary device that deliberately or unintentionally diverts attention from a line of enquiry, topic, or suspect. [d] [e]

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Very rough outline:

Red herring - General definition of the term as a plot device

Etymology - Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (R 803 Br): "A deliberate or sometimes unintentional diversion, which distracts from a line of enquiry or a topic under discussion. A red herring (i.e. one dried, smoked, and salted) drawn across a fox's path destroys the scent and faults the hounds".

Early example of use in the sense of plot device if possible.

Example from Detective_fiction

Possibly an example of a visual red herring from film?

Talk:Red herring

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