Chrysti The Wordsmith: Trip the Light Fantastic

Greetings This is Christie the wordsmith. In eighteen ninety four American songwriter Charles B Lawlor crafted the words to a tune called the sidewalks of New York. Part of the chorus reads boys and girls together. Me and Mamie O'Rourke trip the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York. The expression trip the light fantastic is a rather elaborate way of saying dance songwriter Lollar borrow this phrase from a bard of yesteryear. John Milton who in sixteen thirty two wrote a poem called Allegro Milton's verse invokes the spirits of mirth and laughter throughout. He writes hasty nymph and bring with the jest and youthful jollity sport that wrinkled care derides and laughter holding both sides come and trip it as you go on the light fantastic toe. Milton's verb trip does not mean stumble but rather move gracefully and the light fantastic toe is an allusion to the nimble fancy footwork of a skilled dancer when later writers reprise Milton's line they excised the word Toto from the formula.

So now the expression is rendered simply trip the light fantastic but that's not the end of the tale. In 1967 the band Procul harem recorded the rock ballad Whiter Shade Of Pale songwriter Keith Reed put a new spin on Milton's ancient phrase with the opening line. We skipped the light fandango turned cartwheels cross the floor. I'm Christie the wordsmith a Montana State University in Bozeman. CHRISTIE The wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.