> Just wondering, Is the title of this posting common in 
> English?
> or have you been influenced by a book or something?
> like Walter Isaacson's - Einstein His Life and Universe
> Just has caught this on the audio file: Bohr was able 
> hoist Einstein by his
> own petard.

&

> I think anyone doing it for fun should be hoisted on a 
> petard.

It is not in everyday use but is common enough in the manner 
that Jinx used it by people like Jinx (and me :-)) 
(Analysing areas of similarity between me and Jinx could be 
a fascinating subject).

Many people use it or read it without understanding its 
basis. The word "hoist" is Ye Olde Englifh for "foiled" / 
"Caught out" / ... but people tend to think it means"pulled 
up with a rope" as in 'hoisting a flag'.

At one time we had a Prime Minister who was well educated 
but who used the expression and then went on to say " ... 
and in his case it must be a very long one." thereby 
indicating his lack of understanding of the term.

In "Lord of the Rings" in the only place where Aragorn loses 
his cool (and not without cause ...) "Kill him, kill him 
..." the device that Saruman has had placed against the wall 
at 'Helms Deep' and which is detonated by the Orc torch 
bearing suicide bomber is a Petard.

Someone else's musings with LOTR in mind

        http://foucalt.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-love-wikipedia-hoist-in-his-own.html

And nothing to do with this (despite the title)

    http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2007/06/john-calvin-and-hiddenness-of-god.html



        Russell





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