“Hoisted by his own petard” acquires a new meaning

The true meaning of “hoisted by their own petard,” from Hamlet, has always been somewhat unsettled, though “blown up by their own mine” is most frequently given.

However, under its headline last Friday on Anthony Weiner’s announcement of his resignation from Congress, Lucianne.com had this sub-headline which, simply through proximity to Weiner, suggests a new way of understanding the famous expression:

Hoisted By His Own Petard: Irony rich pun factory fades
from the scene. New York Post headline writers openly weep.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 21, 2011 10:16 AM | Send