RED HERRING ........

English language (insurance) Idiom & Phrases

Directions : In the following questions, a phrase is given in bold whose meaning can be inferred from one of the highlighted words/phrases of four sentences given below each phrase. Choose the most appropriate meaning of the phrase among the four options that can also be replaced by the given phrase without altering the meaning of the sentence. If none of the sentences conveys the correct meaning, choose (e) i.e., “None of the above” as your answer.

RED HERRING

Since the airline lost two of my bags, I have scanty clothing for my vacation.

Christian suppressed his political opponents under the pretense of defending an ecclesiastical system which in his heart he despised.

She squinted towards the blazing buildings to see a dark figure half-trotting, half-limping towards them.

It was not difficult to discern that Ellen killed her husband for the million-dollar life insurance policy.

none of these

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Explanation:

A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important issue. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences towards a false conclusion. Moreover, ‘pretense’ which is a noun which means ‘an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true’. Therefore, the most suitable phrase that depicts the meaning of the given idiom without altering the context of the sentence is ‘pretense’. Hence, option (b) becomes the most viable answer choice. Scanty means small or insufficient in quantity or amount. Squinted means to look at someone or something with one or both eyes partly closed in an attempt to see more clearly or as a reaction to strong light. Discern means distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses.