where did the red herring phrase come from
Red herring The term was popularized in 1807 by English polemicist William Cobbett, who told a story of having used a kipper (a strong-smelling smoked fish) to divert hounds from chasing a hare.
The Little Red Hen The moral of this story is that those who make no contribution to producing a product do not deserve to enjoy the product: "if any would not work, neither should he or she eat."[2]