Hoisted by One's Own Petard (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the Saying "Hoisted by One's Own Petard "?

The term hoisted by one's own petard means to fall foul of your own deceit or fall into your own trap. This term has its origin in medieval times when a military commander would send forward one of his engineers with a cast-iron container full of gunpowder, called a petard, to blow up a castle gate, obstacle, or bridge. The fuses on these bombs were very unreliable, and sometimes the engineers would be killed when the petards exploded prematurely. The explosion would blow (or hoist) the engineer into the air.

Examples of Use:

• He thought his scheme would harm others, but he ended up being hoisted by his own petard when it backfired on him.
• The politician's dishonesty was exposed, and she was hoisted by her own petard as her career came crashing down.
• She tried to spread false rumors about her colleague, but she was hoisted by her own petard when her deceit was revealed.
• The con artist's elaborate plan to deceive others ended up causing his downfall as he was hoisted by his own petard.
• He attempted to manipulate the situation, but he was hoisted by his own petard when the truth emerged and his credibility was shattered.

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