Something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue — usually hyphenated when used attributively

1. The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them); SYN. chicanery, guile, wile, shenanigan.
2. Verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of one in some way; SYN. hocus-pocus, slickness, hanky panky, jiggery-pokery, skulduggery, skullduggery.