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What's a weird saying? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

88 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When examined, or just because it's weird on its own.

Example: Beat a dead horse

You whip a horse to go faster
It dies from being whipped too much
You still want the horse to go faster
You continue to whip it

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

The french used to use an explosive device called a "petard" (old french for a fart), that was used to breach doors. However these would sometimes blow back and kill the user rather than breach the door. This was the original intention for the Shakespearian phrase. One was Hoisted (old verb* not used anymore but essentially blown off their feet) by their own Petard (or door breaching bomb).

More information is here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoist_with_his_own_petard

*Unrelated to hoist as in to lift, despite similarities