If dancing is so graceful, why is it called TRIPPING the Light Fantastic?

Yes, this is weird!
No explanation for our language as there are several things like this that are very odd.....

There must be a reason for it as it would have started somehow but who knows???

by Finy

The phrase comes from a 1645 poem by Milton. It was also mentioned by Shakespeare in one of his plays, talking about dancing, this line from a poem has come into common usage in speech and writing.

It's not graceful when I do it!

by bambootiger

LOL!

Me either . . . !

I'm in the dark . . . . . . Tripping the light. Fantastic!

by Rice

clever!

Rice...once again you made me smile :)

I think that in order to appear to be a graceful dancer, there would have been a lot of TRIPPING.

by Lluxi

by jonaja

If you ever want to lift your spirits just take a look at these two on YT...and if it doesn't make you smile, nothing will :)

Ditto from me as well. I'm a hopeless dancer! I didn't even dance at my wedding, & neither did anyone else!

by Miro

I don't know

by AJ