Trip the light fantastic

Although the expression is used less and less these days, it was once a popular expression when ballroom was the principal form of dancing. 'Trip the light fantastic' means to dance nimbly and gracefully. Strictly speaking, it represents an adaptation of a poetical concept that was coined by Milton in L’Allegro (1632): "Come, and trip it, as you go, on the light fantastick toe." In Milton's day, 'trip' meant to dance nimbly, almost the complete opposite of what it means today, as in stumble. It was not until the late 19th century, however, when the Miltonic concept was put into its modern form, in a song written by an American, Charles Lawler, in 1894 for the musical comedy 'Sidewalks of New York'. Lawler's lyrics were, "Me and Mamie O'Rourke tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York."