Red herring

Red-Herring Hank

“Never mind the question. Look at this fish!”

What's the problem?

A red herring diverts attention from the issue under discussion instead of addressing it. One common form treats a different topic as if it settled the original question, but a red herring doesn't have to claim the issue is settled; it only has to pull the discussion away from it. A new topic isn't automatically a red herring. Background can bear on the question, and a speaker can openly propose changing the scope or postpone a question they can't answer yet. Those moves aren't automatically fair either: what matters is whether the response bears on the issue in its context, not whether it uses the right-sounding words. You don't need to guess anyone's motive. Judge whether the response actually helps with the question being discussed.

Context: At a neighborhood meeting, Rosa asks, "Should the community garden add a second water tap?" People queue for the existing tap near the far beds. Installation cost is not yet known. The reply below is offered instead of discussing the tap.

✗ Diverted

Honestly, the garden committee has done amazing work this year. Look at the tomatoes!

✓ Back on topic

The committee has done good work this year. On the tap: people queue for the existing one near the far beds, so a second tap could help, but we'd need to know the installation cost before deciding.

Why it works

The praise can stay, but on its own it doesn't address Rosa's question. The revision returns to the tap, uses the supplied facts about queuing and cost, and names what is still unknown without inventing a figure.