trip the light fantastic
Definition
- Verb:
- To dance, especially in a skilled, graceful, or showy manner: The phrase "trip the light fantastic" is a poetic, humorous, or old-fashioned way to describe the act of dancing. It evokes images of elegant, rhythmic movement, often to music.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The couple decided to trip the light fantastic at their daughter's wedding reception.
- After dinner, they put on some jazz and tripped the light fantastic in the living room.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used with a sense of nostalgia, whimsy, or gentle humor. It is rarely used in literal, everyday instructions (e.g., one would not say "Let's trip the light fantastic" on a crowded dance floor). Its use is typically descriptive or evocative.
- In his youth, he was known to trip the light fantastic at every ball and party.
Variants and Related Words
- Trip (verb): In archaic or poetic use, can mean to move with light, quick steps, which is the sense preserved in this idiom.
- Fantastic (adjective): Extraordinarily good or attractive. Here, "the light fantastic" poetically refers to the delightful or fantastic realm of dance and music.
Synonyms
- Dance: The standard, neutral term.
- Foot it: An informal, somewhat old-fashioned synonym for dancing.
- Cut a rug: A lively, informal idiom for dancing energetically.
Related Phrases
- While "trip the light fantastic" is itself a fixed idiom, it is based on the verb "trip" meaning to dance lightly. No common phrasal verbs are derived directly from this full phrase.
Related Idioms
- Trip the light fantastic is itself an idiom. It originates from the poem "L'Allegro" by John Milton (1645), which includes the line "Come, and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastic toe." The modern phrase condenses this idea.
Verb
-
move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
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My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio
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