The Light Fantastic

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Annotations

1

The book’s title comes from the poem L'Allegro, written by John Milton in 1631:

Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jollity
Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles
Nods, and Becks, and wreathed Smiles
Such as hang on Hebe’s neck
And love to live in dimple sleek
Sport that wrinkled Care derides
And Laughter holding both his sides
Come and trip it as ye go
On the Light Fantastic toe.

2

The reference is to the saying “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” (also known by its acronym ‘TANSTAAFL’, made popular by science fiction author Robert Heinlein in his classic novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, although the phrase was originally coined by American economist John Kenneth Galbraith).

3

'Slightly foxed” is a term used primarily by antiquarian booksellers to denote that there is staining (usually due to Ferric OXide, hence ‘FOXed’) on the pages of a book. This does not usually reduce the value of the book, but booksellers tend to be scrupulous about such matters.

4

Many people have commented on the last name of the 304th Chancellor of Unseen University: Weatherwax, and asked if there is a connection with Granny Weatherwax.

In Lords and Ladies, Terry supplies the following piece of dialogue (on p. 224/161) between Granny and Archchancellor Ridcully as an answer:

''There was even a Weatherwax as Archchancellor, years ago,’ said Ridcully. ‘So I understand. Distant cousin. Never knew him,’ said Granny.”

5

This is one of those candlesticks with a flat, saucer-like base, a short candleholder in the middle and a loop to grip it by at one side. ‘Wee Willie Winkie’ is a Mother Goose nursery rhyme, and traditional illustrations always show Willie going upstairs carrying a candle.

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows, Crying through the lock,
‘Are the children all in bed? For it’s now eight o’clock.’

6

The title the ancient Egyptians used for what we now call the Book of the Dead was The Book of Going Forth By Day. Note that in the UK until a few years ago the pubs opened at 11 a.m.

If you try really hard (one of my correspondents did) you can see this as a very elaborate joke via the chain: Around Elevenish —> Late in the morning —> Late —> Dead —> Book of the Dead. But I doubt if even Terry is that twisted.

7

Amongst English (and Australian) children there exists the folk-belief that the seed-heads of dandelions can be used to tell the time. The method goes as follows: pick the dandelion, blow the seeds away, and the number of puffs it takes to get rid of all the seeds is the time, e.g. three puffs = three o’clock. As a result, the dandelion stalks with their globes of seeds are regularly referred to as a “dandelion clocks” in colloquial English.

8

The magic eating its way through the ceilings with the wizards chasing it floor after floor vaguely resonates with the ‘alien blood’ scene in the movie Alien, where the acidic blood of the Alien burns through successive floors of the ship, with people running down after it.

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