Leading tangential questions are distractions. They're only useful if the other person doesn't think you're doing it deliberately (if they wise up to it, they'll begin accusing you of "changing the subject" when they're mad).
They're detours in the other persons' path to beng super pissed - and sometimes they distract the other person long enough to make them lose their train of thought, which usually isn't going to go anywhere good for you, if you're the only target for their anger nearby.
For example:
Mom: *returns home, sees kitchen is in disarray, and you sitting there. says nothing, but begins cleaning angrily. starts slamming cupboards when putting stuff away* I went to see a movie, and I come home and the house is trashed- why didn't you do the dishes?
Me: I just got back home- what movie was it?
Mom:
Mom: [some move]-
Me: Who'd you go see it with?
Answer the other persons' question (if you can), but end with one of your own that isn't related to whatever is making the person angry towards you. The questions should be pretty boring and neutral in tone, because it can throw off the tension as the person suddenly has to spend some thoughts on figuring out what you said - and since they weren't thinking of it before, they have to completely switch gears.
Downside to this method is that if the other person figures out you do it deliberately, it may make them angrier when they suspect you of doing it - and then you're pretty screwed, because anything can be suspicious of being tangential.
Another downside is that by asking random, distracting questions when someone is mid-rant is likely to be seen as weird, and the person might think of you as dense for not following the expected social script. On the plus side, it makes it harder for them to get you to participate in them chewing you out.
The more you ask questions, the less the other person can build an argument as to why they should direct their anger at you. Don't ask every question at once, and feel free to jump around to whatever topic. If a word or statement they use makes you think of something you could ask them, but would usually not because it isn't on topic - perfect tangential question material.
