It appears in the song "Sidewalks of New York"
2006-07-10 12:24:12 · 6 answers · asked by Noel 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
It means to go dancing.
2006-07-10 12:27:44 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It should be "trip the lite fantastic" and you have to allow that the words were shaped into a fit in the song. Lite, fantastic would be a category of pop music. Music was sold in sheet form for use at home in the 1890s with category labels on the outside corners of the folded sheets. Tripping the lite fantastic would be dancing. Stride and waltz were types of dance; it could have been "We'll waltz the lite, fantastic....." but maybe it wouldn't have been as memorable.
2006-07-10 19:57:10 · answer #2 · answered by fata minerva 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
See a very good answer in a website for word freaks called World Wide Words at http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-tri1.htm . It attributes the origin of the phrase to a poem by Milton.
2006-07-11 05:06:55 · answer #3 · answered by Dramafreak 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it was "trip the light fantastic..." but yes, refers to dancing.
2006-07-10 19:38:57 · answer #4 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means to go gallivanting and hit only the high places because of being so elated.
2006-07-10 21:37:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah, wasn't that a disco term?..Like back in the 70's?
or was it a Gershwin tune or what? I just think it sounds like
someone trippin on LSD. (please don't try this at home).
2006-07-10 19:33:34 · answer #6 · answered by CraZyCaT 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋