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From: brian@digi-g.UUCP (Merlyn Leroy)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Etymology of "Red Herring"
Message-ID: <603@digi-g.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-May-85 12:45:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: digi-g.603
Posted: Thu May 16 12:45:46 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 18-May-85 01:58:25 EDT
Reply-To: brian@digi-g.UUCP (brian)
Organization: Digigraphic Systems Corp., Mpls, MN
Lines: 9
Summary: 

References:

>> Any more self-contradictory words?
>  Red herring!

Actually, "a red herring" comes from anti-foxhunt groups in England.
They used to take smoked (hence, red) herrings across the fox's path to
obscure his scent so the hounds would lose the trail.

Merlyn Leroy
The peanut is neither a pea nor a nut.  It's a bean.  I'm a nut.