petard (redirected from be hoists with own petard)

hoist with one's own petard

Fig. to be harmed or disadvantaged by an action of one's own which was meant to harm someone else. (From a line in Shakespeare's Hamlet.) She intended to murder her brother but was hoist with her own petard when she ate the poisoned food intended for him. The vandals were hoist with their own petard when they tried to make an emergency call from the pay phone they had broken.

See also: hoist

---

be hoist by/with your own petard  (formal)

if you are hoist by your own petard, something that you did in order to bring you advantages or to harm someone else is now causing serious problems for you The government, who have made such a point of criticizing the opposition's morals now find themselves hoist by their own petard as yet another minister is revealed as having an illicit affair.

See also: hoist

---

hoist with your own petard also hoist on your own petard

to be harmed by something that was intended by you to harm someone else The most enjoyable moment in any action film occurs when the villain is hoist with his own petard.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of hoist by your own petard (blown into the air by your own explosive device), an expression made popular in Shakespeare's play, “Hamlet”

See also: hoist