“Hoist with one’s own petard”– as in Hamlet– a deconstruction. “Hoist” here is an archaic past participle. “Petard” comes from the French meaning a small bomb. Petard is related to the French for “f..t”. (Please note the “t”. I’m rude, but not that rude.) “Le Pétomane” was the stage name of a professional French “flatulist.” (Imagine telling an immigration officer that was your occupation.) Some of the highlights of his stage act involved sound effects of cannon fire and thunderstorms, as well as playing “O Sole Mio” and “La Marseillaise” on an ocarino. He could blow out a candle from several yards away. His audience included Edward, Prince of Wales, King Leopold II of the Belgians, and Sigmund Freud. His life was commemorated in Le Pétomane: Parti Avec Le Vent (Le Pétomane: Gone With The Wind). H/t Google, Blazing Saddles
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July 19, 2012 at 3:59 pm
gappy (@gappy3000)
And please don’t forget the italian movie “Il Petomane” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138702/). With good production values and notable actors (protagonist: Ugo Tognazzi).
July 21, 2012 at 8:38 am
Trinity River
Oh my God. I hope this does not catch on with the general male at large. I can see a reality TV contest in the making.
July 23, 2012 at 3:44 pm
dumdedumdum
and think of how you could tell an immigration officer that that was your profession — or perhaps you could pass as a ventriloquist!