Books
A man can’t cross a hundred thousand light years, mostly in other people’s baggage compartments, without beginning to fray a little, and Arthur had frayed a lot.
— Douglas Adams · So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A comic understatement about wear and tear: crossing a huge distance, mostly stowed in other people's luggage holds, would fray anyone, and Arthur is described as very frayed. The fraying is both literal-sounding and a joke about exhaustion.
Context reviewed