daisy [OE] Daisies close at night and open again in the morning, revealing the yellow disc at their centre. This gives them their name, as daisy is a contraction of day’s eye. Being dead and buried loses some of its solemnity and fear when you are under the daisies or are pushing up daisies. These expressions date from the mid 19th century, and the First World War poet Wilfred Owen (1893–1918) alludes to its use by soldiers in the trenches. Fresh as a daisy refers to the opening of the daisy in the morning, and to its welcome appearance in spring. It has been used by writers since at least the 14th century, when it appears in the works of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343–1400).