Hoist by their own petard*

Surely most of you are aware of the effort by the UK paper The Guardian to have its readers appeal to the residents of Clark County, Ohio, to support John Kerry in the presidential election. Today's Political Diary from the Wall Street Journal includes the following in its first entry:

"Of the 115 Ohio counties that Al Gore won in 2000, John Kerry won every single one -- with the conspicuous exception of Clark, which went to Bush this year by 1,620 votes."


* A petard is an explosive device,** not a lance or spear. Thus one is hoist (lifted) by his own petard - not on it.

** petard - "A small bell-shaped bomb used to breach a gate or wall. "

  ¶ 13:50