h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Aah yes. German. Leicht means both easy to do and not weighing much. The concepts of "Gewicht" (weight) and "Masse"(mass) are also used abundantly in adjectives to describe heavy things. But on reflection I can't come up with many alternatives meaning the lack of weight. The position is almost identical to English.

So we move on to French, which is probably no more productive.

In the expression "to trip the light fantastic" I am not even sure which part is the noun - is it "light" or is it "fantastic" - or is it neither?

The impression I had was the light (in light fantastic) that was the adjective (used to imply delicate, floaty, etc.)

However, a quick search showed that the phrase derives from the poem L'Allegro (John Milton, 1631). It starts off a bit dismally ( ...In Stygian Cave forlorn...), but later on, it gets to

...
Haste thee nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jollity,
Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles,
Nods, and Becks, and Wreathèd Smiles,
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek;
Sport that wrincled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Com, and trip it as ye go
On the light fantastick toe,
...

(Note for moderators - given he's been dead for several centuries, I'm *sure* it's out of copyright by now)

So it seems that *both* words were originally adjectives.

*flattered that PH is quoting poetry at her*

Unfortunately when we talk about tripping these days, it's rather an awkward kind of movement, usually ending up with the person falling over. Tripping used to be so much more fun when it meant skipping and dancing.

Enjoy your trip? - Yeah, see you next fall.

There is the *other* kind of tripping that often takes place lying down...

Three quarks for Muster Mark!

Perhaps Joyce was tripping when he wrote Uylesses (or was it just to many ?)

Well now this whole 'light fantastic' biz has got me round full circle to the notion of someone being 'light on his feet' and begs the original question (a long way back) about 'alight' as in to 'alight from a train'. Apparently alighting has something to do with stepping. (Down or out but not up, implying a compliance or harmony with gravity but not a resistance to it.)
*sticks an unlit match between his toes for any and all comers to ignite and then dozes off, giving up all resistance to the gravity of the situation*

waits until he hears jwf snoring and then lights the strategically left match

Doh!!!! A positron is neutral?!?!?! I am quite clearly losing the plot. The country is definately not getting a good return on its investment in my education!!!

Um, no. A positron is positive. See post 1260.

Lightness must be a rarer quality than heaviness. That's maybe why you would never say "as heavy as a feather..."

Erm, I don't know really...

I think the word "heavy" is just used more often. I mean, how often do you hear someone complain that something is too light?

"The unbearable Lightness of Being" has some rather good definitions of light and heavy!
*remembers vaguely only having read the book in the last few eeks, but has forgotten almost all of it*
*Dashes off to get it...*

Z.

*the audience waits ..vaguely*

*these things take time ..first he has to remember, vaguely, where he put it, downlightly one hopes*

Meanwhile I'll just alight up th.. ah jeez my foot is on fire.

What's afoot?

(Put that one in your pipes and explain it!!)

*runs back in clutching a rather battered and dog-eared tome*

Right the books by a geezer called 'Milan Kundera' a czech author.

He quotes Parmenides "lightness is positive, weight negative"
and rambles on about eternal returns and other such stuff!

*realising he's not made much of a contribution to the understanding of lightness*

err...
Z.

*Thinks: must start another diet*

If you are on two diets, do you lose weight twice as quickly?
Or gain lightness twice, "as fast"?
Or ...

What's a foot:
the flat bits at the end of your lower extremeties
a measurement of distance equal to one of these flat bits as found on the late great HRH Henry VIII
something boats have, apparently, judging from sailor talk like "she's a fifty footer"

You have it, Plaguesville !
Dieting is the subtle art of gaining lightness
In the same way, when you throw the light switch of an evening, you turn off the dark !
When you get caught out in a shower, you lose your dryness.

is the only quote I have for that one. I know what it means ("under way" or "in progress")but have no idea why.
Perhaps you'd like to consider the following idioms too:
foot the bill
get off on the wrong foot
put your best foot forward
put your foot down
put your foot in it
Is this last connected with foot in mouth? ()