To be all sweetness & light

[Theseus]

'Sweetness and light is an English idiom that today is used in common speech, generally with mild irony, to describe insincere courtesy. For example: The two had been fighting for a month, but around others it was all sweetness and light Originally, however, "sweetness and light" term had a special use in literary and cultural criticism to mean "pleasing and instructive", which in classical theory was considered to be the aim and justification of poetry.' (Wikipedia)
It is now a cliche, meaning very kind, innocent, and helpful. Examples:-
-She was mad at first, but after a while, she was all sweetness and light.
-At the reception, the whole family was all sweetness and light, but they argued and fought after the guests left.
The phrase is generally used with an implied contrast & is mildly ironic, indicating volatile behaviour, so if a person (or less commonly, a situation) is all sweetness and light, s/he very pleasant, often in a way that seems false.
-One minute she’s incredibly rude to me and the next she’s all sweetness and light.:inno::devil:

 

[Inachus]

"Όλο αγάπες και λουλούδια" is an expression I came up with, also with a mild irony sometimes.
-Μέχρι χθες αυτοί οι δύο ήταν στα μαχαίρια και τώρα είναι όλο αγάπες και λουλούδια.

 

[drsiebenmal]

I would probably translate the example with something like όλο γλύκες και χαρές or όλο γλύκα και αγάπη (singular or plural forms are equally valid, imho). Other translations may be possible, too.

Is the light here the opposite of dark or the opposite of heavy?

Edit: Inachus' translation is also very good and a flowery bit more idiomatic, but I would prefer it if I was sure that the light was definitely the opposite of dark. ;)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Could we say in English: "The Viennese Sacher cake is all sweetness but not light"?

 

[daeman]

"Όλο αγάπες και λουλούδια" is an expression I came up with, also with a mild irony sometimes.
-Μέχρι χθές αυτοί οι δύο ήταν στα μαχαίρια και τώρα είναι όλο αγάπες και λουλούδια.

+1. Εικονογράφηση:

...

«Και παστούλες; Θα θέλατε και παστούλες;»

---

Άλλη μια ιδέα για να μη χάσουμε τη γλύκα: «Όλο γλύκες», που, όταν υπάρχει μια έντονη νότα καλοπιάσματος για ίδιο όφελος, συνοδεύεται και από το δικό της επιδόρπιο: «Όλο γλύκες και γαλιφιές»,

η οποία προέκυψε από εκείνη την εικονογράφηση, με τη δική της εικόνα:

...

I would probably translate the example with something like όλο γλύκες και χαρές or όλο γλύκα και αγάπη (singular or plural forms are equally valid, imho). Other translations may be possible, too.
...

Well, I thought I was running alone, but after all I came second. So I'll second that.

Κι ένα κερασάκι: «όλο γλύκες κι αγαπούλες» για πιο έντονη ειρωνεία και δήλωση της υποκρισίας.

 

[drsiebenmal]

Well, I thought I was running alone, but after all I came second.

But that surely beats being penultimate, doesn't it?

 

[Theseus]

Yes, we could say that about a Viennse Sacher cake jocularly & it would be perceived as a clever pun. As to the word light, it is definitely the opposite of darkness, as the author was the famous wit Jonathan Swift. Here is the original meaning of the phrase:-
'Jonathan Swift first used the phrase in his mock-heroic prose satire, "The Battle of the Books" (1704), a defence of Classical learning (1704), which he published as a prolegomenon to his A Tale of a Tub. It gained widespread currency in the Victorian era, when English poet and essayist Matthew Arnold picked it up as the title of the first section of his 1869 book Culture and Anarchy: An Essay in Political and Social Criticism, where "sweetness and light" stands for beauty and intelligence, the two key components of an excellent culture' (Wikipedia).:)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Thanks, Theseus!

 

[daeman]

...
Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell featuring The Persuasions & Lyle Mays

Every picture has its shadows
And it has some source of light
...

And the full live LP:

Spoiler

...
Από τα μπάσα στα πρίμα, από τη σοκολατί στη γαλατερή κι από τη βελούδινη στην κρυστάλλινη φωνή: Shadows and Light, το δεύτερο λάιβ της Τζόνι Μίτσελ, ό,τι πρέπει για ένα ηλιόλουστο, ανάλαφρο σαββατιάτικο απόγευμα:

1. Introduction -- 1:51 / 2. In France They Kiss on Main Street -- 4:14 / 3. Edith and the Kingpin -- 4:10 / 4. Coyote -- 4:58
5. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat -- 6:02 (Charles Mingus, lyrics by Mitchell) / 6. Jaco's Solo (Jaco Pastorius), The High and the Mighty,
Third Stone from the Sun / 7. The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines -- 4:37 (Mitchell, Charles Mingus) / 8. Amelia -- 6:40
9. Pat's Solo -- 3:09 (Pat Metheny) / 10. Hejira -- 7:42 / 11. Black Crow -- 3:52 / 12. Don's Solo -- 4:04 (Don Alias)
13. Dreamland -- 4:40 / 14. Free Man in Paris -- 3:23 / 15.Band Introduction -- 0:52 / 16. Furry Sings the Blues -- 5:14
17. Raised on Robbery / 18. Why Do Fools Fall in Love -- 2:53 (Frankie Lymon, Morris Levy)
19. Shadows and Light -- 5:23 / 20. God Must be a Boogie Man -- 5:02 / 21. Woodstock -- 5:08