Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. To be "hoist by [or with] your own petard" is to be blown up by your own bomb. A petard was a medieval engine of war consisting ...

It's fun - and sometimes surprising - to learn the literal meanings of everyday phrases you use. At least it is for Bill Murray and me. Bill, of Palatine, is a very funny guy who spent 40 years on the ...

The other day, I heard a TV commentator say, “He was hoisted by his own petard.” While I’m familiar with the expression, I wondered how or where did this expression originate, and what’s a petard ...

Why is Christian Science in our name? Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we’ve always been transparent about that. The church publishes the ...

A line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet refers to a character being “hoist with his own petard.” A petard is a small explosive device, and the saying refers to someone getting injured by their own actions in ...