What is the Meaning of Trip the Light Fantastic? Music and Politics Music History by da jack hayford - August 19, 2016March 9, 20230 To "Trip the Light Fantastic" is to dance. Scholars point to an early reference made to the phrase, if not the first, in a famous pastoral poem by John Milton, published in 1631, entitled L'Allegro: "Com, and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastick toe..." A lot happened between