[rlmorel]

I heard one translation of “petard” was “fart”.

Of course for some, they might be both explosion and fart.

[squarebarb]

This is terrible. What a loss of a fine man.

[dorothy]

I heard one translation of “petard” was “fart”.

It's a little of both. "Petard" is derived from a Middle French word for "fart," so the exploding device must have sounded rather like flatulence.

Etymology is fascinating. For instance, word "harass" takes on a new flavor when traced back to an Old French word for "to sic a dog on."