trip the light fantastic

present singular third person trips the light fantastic · participle present tripping the light fantastic · participle past tripped the light fantastic · past tripped the light fantastic · alternative trip the light fantastic toe

1. To dance or to move rhythmically to musical accompaniment, especially in a graceful or nimble manner.

   "Swing Time:" Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers trip the light fantastic in this yarn about a dancer with a yen for gambling.

   1978 May 31, "Movies", in the St. Petersburg Independent, page 11-B

   2 more examples

   On board the steamer, which accompanied the yachts all through the race, the majority passed their time pleasantly in paying homage to Terpsichore; though there was not much room for dancing, a goodly array continued to trip the light fantastic.

   1856 December 1, The Empire, Sydney, page 5, column 2

   In the fairy tale by the Grimm brothers, they each wear out a pair of dancing shoes nightly, tripping the light fantastic in a magic forest.

   2005 June 1, Kevin Kittredge, “Royal Ballet”, in Roanoke Times, retrieved 04 Oct 2008