Passage: 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.\n\nQuestion: Based on this passage, where did the red herring phrase come from?
A step-by-step solution is:
English polemicist William Cobbett
To answer the above question, the relevant sentence is: 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.

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Final answer: English polemicist William Cobbett