The red herring 137
by means of extraneous material, however attractive that new
material may be.'Excuse me, sir. What are you doing with that diamond necklace hanging
out of your pocket?'
'I say, isn't that a purebred German shepherd dog you have with you?'
(Even if the policeman is put off the scent, the dog won't be.)The more the red herring appears to follow the original trail
for a little way, the more attractive it is to follow, and the more
effective it will be at diverting attention.
'Publicans always try to promote whatever makes them most profit. '
7 think these fashions come and go. One time they will promote light
beer because they think that is where the demand is; but a year or two
later it might be cask-conditioned ale. '
(The attraction here is that it smells a little like the original trail. It talks
about what publicans promote, but after following this one for an
hour or two, the talkers will be as much fuddled by the argument as
by the beer.)Red herrings are used by those who have a bad case, and can
feel the hounds getting uncomfortably close to it. Politicians
under pressure will toss out so tempting a red herring that the
dogs will turn after it, even in the act of leaping for the kill.
Lawyers scatter them at the feet of juries to divert attention away
from crooked clients. Every famous attorney has been credited
with the trick of putting a wire through his cigar so that, instead
of listening to the details of his weak case, the jurors watch with
bated breath as the ash grows longer and longer. The red herring
in this case is a visual one, like the salesman's illuminated bow tie
which diverts attention away from his inferior product.