0908 Hoist with his own petard

Explanation

An idiom meaning someone is harmed, defeated, or embarrassed by their own plan or scheme that was intended to harm others.
Essentially, their plot backfired on them.

Origin

Comes from Shakespeare's play Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 4). Hamlet speaks of his treacherous escorts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: For 'tis the sport to have the enginer / Hoist with his own petar'.
An enginer (engineer) was someone who constructed military devices.
A petard (or petar) was a small bomb used in Shakespeare's time to blow open doors or walls.
To be hoist meant to be blown upwards or destroyed.
So, the enginer (the bomb-maker/user) being blown up by his own bomb is the literal meaning. The phrase now applies metaphorically to any self-destructive scheme.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

Played yourself. (AAVE influence, means you caused your own failure or embarrassment)
Owned. / Pwned. (Gaming/internet slang, implies complete defeat, often self-inflicted in context)
Epic fail. (Internet slang for a significant failure, often due to one's own actions)

Milder/More Common:

His scheme backfired.
It didn't work out as he planned.

Situational Appropriateness

Semi-formal to formal. It's a literary and somewhat archaic phrase.
Sounds educated or even slightly pretentious if used in very casual conversation.
Appropriate in writing, discussions of literature, politics, or complex situations where irony is appreciated.

Misunderstanding Warnings

The words hoist and especially petard are uncommon. Learners will likely not understand the literal meaning without explanation.
Focus on the metaphorical meaning: a plan backfiring on the planner.

Examples

The politician tried to spread rumors about his rival, but the rumors were traced back to him, and he was forced to resign. He was hoist with his own petard.
She set a trap for her colleague, but ended up falling into it herself. A classic case of being hoist with her own petard.
He tried to cheat on the exam by writing notes on his hand, but the ink smudged, making his answers illegible. Hoist with his own petard.

Dialogue

Professor Evans: Did you hear about Mr. Finch trying to discredit Dr. Lee's research, only to have his own plagiarism discovered in the process?

Professor Davies: Yes, quite the scandal. He was well and truly hoist with his own petard.

Professor Evans: A perfect example. His own attack led directly to his downfall.

Response Patterns

Agreement/Acknowledgement: Indeed. / A fitting end. / Exactly.
Request for clarification: What does 'petard' mean again? (Common due to the archaic word)
Sharing details: Yeah, it backfired spectacularly.
Amusement/Schadenfreude: Ha! Serves him right.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

People might ask for more details about how the plan backfired.
Someone might comment on the irony of the situation.
The conversation might turn to the cleverness (or lack thereof) of the original plan.

Conversation Starter

No. It's used to describe or comment on a specific situation where a plan backfired.

Intonation

Often said with a sense of irony, satisfaction, or as a formal observation.
Stress typically falls on hoist and petard.
Example: HOIST with his own peTARD.

Generation Differences

More likely to be used and fully understood by older generations or those with a background in literature/humanities. Younger generations might recognize it but are less likely to use it frequently, opting for simpler synonyms like backfired or slang like played yourself.

Regional Variations

Understood across English-speaking regions, particularly among educated speakers, but perhaps slightly more common in British English due to Shakespearean roots.

You'll get yours

🎲 Chickens come home to roost

[0908] Hoist with his own petard