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Difficulty: Very hardIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

After months of advocating for strict financial auditing of all committee members, the senior minister was ultimately hoist with his own petard when the software he sponsored uncovered his own hidden accounts.

Which of the following options best conveys the meaning of the bolded idiomatic expression in the sentence above?

  1. A
    physically injured by an explosive device during a routine security test
  2. ruined by the very scheme or instrument he had devised to catch othersAnswer
  3. C
    cleared of all administrative charges through an unexamined technicality
  4. D
    rewarded with high commendation for creating effective investigative software

Answer

The expression 'hoist with one's own petard' means to be harmed, exposed, or caught by a trap or plan that one had originally set for others.
The idiom 'hoist with one's own petard' describes a situation where someone is caught, ruined, or harmed by the very trap, device, or plan they intended to use against others. In the sentence, the minister's own auditing software exposed his secret accounts, making the statement that he was ruined by the very scheme he devised to catch others the correct interpretation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual clues in the sentence
The senior minister spearheaded an auditing initiative, but the resulting software exposed his own concealed financial records.
The context implies a self-inflicted setback where an action intended for others backfires on the initiator.
2
Determine the established figurative meaning of 'hoist with one's own petard'
The idiom means falling victim to one's own plan or trap.
Historically, a petard was an explosive engine used to breach gates; if it detonated prematurely, the engineer was hoist (lifted/blown up) by his own device.
3
Select the option that accurately captures this figurative meaning
The option stating that he was ruined by the very scheme he devised to catch others is the correct interpretation.
It directly matches both the contextual situation and the figurative definition of the idiom.

Key Concept

Idiomatic Expressions and Contextual Interpretation
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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