> I think this is a red herring (anyone know where that saying > comes from?. I will trade you the origin of "as clear as a bell". ) as was > the database size that I mentioned at the beginning.
I looked it up on one of my favorite web sites: <http://www.word-detective.com/042601.html#redherring> I would like to know what you have to say about "clear as a bell", which, strangely enough, the Word Detective does not reference. Here's what he says about red herring: Dear Word Detective: My question is something I heard frequently in reference to the presidential election: the phrase "That's a red herring." I know that a herring is a fish, but I have been unable to decipher the meaning of the phrase "red herring" within the context of a sentence, and I just feel too foolish to ask anyone, because everybody else seems to understand. Please help. -- J.D., via the internet. Don't feel foolish. I'd be willing to bet that a majority of the people you hear using the phrase "red herring" only vaguely understand what it means, and many probably don't even know they're talking about a fish. But we are, and a noble fish at that. Until over-fishing depleted their ranks, herring were so numerous and so important as a staple foodstuff to both America and Europe that many writers referred to the Atlantic Ocean as "the herring pond." The downside of the little critters, however, is that they spoil very rapidly and become inedible. The only practical way to preserve herring is to cure them with a combination of salting and smoking, and those herring most heavily cured turn a deep crimson color from the process. Voila, red herring. Curing herring in this fashion not only preserves the fish and changes its color, but also gives it a distinctive smell, and thereby hangs the modern meaning of "red herring." In training hounds to hunt foxes, these red herrings, dragged on a string through the woods, were used to lay down a trail of scent for the dogs to follow. There is also some evidence that red herrings were, later in the training process, sometimes dragged across the scent trail of a real fox to test the ability of the hounds to ignore a false clue and stick to the scent of the fox. From this practice comes our use of "red herring" to mean a false clue or bogus issue designed to confuse one's opponent (or, in the case of our recent election, the voters). "Red herring" first appeared in the literal "smoked fish" sense around 1420, but the figurative "phony issue or false clue" sense didn't appear until around 1884. -- Microsoft MVP for Entourage/OE/Word (MVPs are volunteers) Allen Watson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Entourage FAQ site: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/> AppleScripts for Outlook Express and Entourage: <http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/Scripts/> Entourage Help Pages: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/> > From: Tal Pomeroy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: "Entourage:mac Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 19:25:01 -0800 > To: "Entourage:mac Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: -192 error > > Thanks for all the info from microsoft lurkers ( I hope you get paid?). What > is this error? > > To make it more interesting I have coied the database to a g4 1 meg DP > desktop and not seen the error although I use my powerbook much more and not > seen the error. I think this is a red herring (anyone know where that saying > comes from?. I will trade you the origin of "as clear as a bell". ) as was > the database size that I mentioned at the beginning. > > I will send an update the next time the error occurs and where. > > > Tal > > > "Among the vanquished the poor people went hungry, > among the victors the poor people went hungry." > > -- Bertold Brecht > -- > > Tal Pomeroy, M.D. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.pigheaven.com > Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of the Central Coast > 3035 Main St. , Soquel, Ca 95073 > 831-462-8750 > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > archives: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.letterrip.com/> > old-archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.boingo.com/> -- To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.letterrip.com/> old-archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.boingo.com/>
