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Full Idea
Russell's theory says that sentences which apparently serve to refer to particulars are really assertions about properties.
Gist of Idea
Russell says apparent referring expressions are really assertions about properties
Source
report of Bertrand Russell (On Denoting [1905]) by David E. Cooper - Philosophy and the Nature of Language §4.1
Book Ref
Cooper,David E.: 'Philosophy and the Nature of Language' [Longman 1979], p.75
A Reaction
Right. Which is why particulars get marginalised in Russell, and universals take centre stage. I can't help suspecting that talk of de re/de dicto reference handles this problem better.