Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> A petard is a bomb. To hoist means lifting into the air. > "Hoisted with his own petard" means "blown up by a bomb that he planted". > > It's referenced in Hamlet. > > I think a petard was a sort of late medieval shaped charge used during sieges to blow holes in walls or, more probably, castle/city gates etc - it was hung on or placed against the obstacle. The root meaning is the same (from early French/Latin or some such) to blow a hole in a wall or blow a hole in your pant both making the same muffled explosive noise.... And as Brian says - to be "hoisted" up by it is to be lifted up by it - ie blown up by your own device. tim