Picture this, three sub-atomic particles walking down the street, Nicole, George and Werther. No mass, no fame.
Suddenly a pack of paparazzi appear, and surround Nicole and George, slowing them down, bunching them together.
The paparazzi form a (Higgs) field round George and Nicole. Roughs them up a little. Nicole and George, they find themselves suddenly famous (and mass-ful). The pair are no longer sub-atomic, but become atomic! They have mass!
One of the paparazzi flashes his camera, his tool of trade. This camera is the God (Higgs) Particle, the small tool that can elevate mere-sub-atomics to the god-like-atomic level in a field of paparazzi.
Makes sense?
