WJhonson@aol.com> 09/08/05 07:36AM
In a message dated 9/7/2005 10:36:03 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
p_m_stewart@msn.com writes:
The phrase is "Hoist with his own petard"
Speaking of this. A friend and I were trying to figure out exactly
what this
means and so we consulted a desk dictionary that he has. Am I right to
think
petard means ..... fart ? That is you are blasted up into the air by
farting
? Tell me I'm off base here.
Will
---
Petard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A petard was a medieval term for a small bomb used to blow up gates and
walls when breaching fortifications.
Etymology: Middle French, from peter, to break wind, from pet expulsion
of intestinal gas, from Latin peditum, from neuter of peditus, past
participle of pedere, to break wind; akin to Greek bdein to break wind.
(Merriam-Webster)
It remains in modern usage in the phrase to be hoisted by one's own
petard, which means to be harmed by one's own plan to harm someone else.
Shakespeare used the now proverbial phrase in Hamlet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petard
----------------------
Anthony Hoskins
History, Genealogy and Archives Librarian
History and Genealogy Library
Sonoma County Library
3rd and E Streets
Santa Rosa, California 95404
707/545-0831, ext. 562