If someone is threatening you, or they're telling you that they are better at a certain task than you, but you know you're better, you can always reply with "You're a daisy if you do." Invented by the infamous "Doc Holiday," this idiom gained popularity with people in the late 1800s.
It's a great retort to use when you feel someone is overconfident in attesting you to a challenge. The nature of the challenge could be lighthearted or life threatening and the saying still applies. This post unpacks everything you need to know about the idiom "You're a daisy if you do." We'll look at use cases for it, along with its origin and meaning.
You're a Daisy if You Do Meaning
Daises grow around the state of Texas and the Southwest. Take a drive through any public land in the summertime, and you'll see thousands of these wildflowers dancing merrily in the breeze. It's a marvelous sight to behold in nature, and that experience forms the meaning of the use of the word in colloquial language.
To use the word, "daisy" refers to "the best" or "marvelous." Therefore, if someone challenges you to a task where you think you have the upper hand, you can use the phrase to bring their confidence down a notch. Another way of looking at the incorporation of daisy into the idiom "you're a daisy if you do" would mean that the person is the "cream of the crop" if they were to beat you at the task.
You're a Daisy if You Do Example Usage
Here are a few examples of how to use "you're a daisy if you do" in conversation.
Reg: Phil, I bet I get the pot from you at the poker game tonight."
Phil: "Well, you're a daisy if you do."
Kim: "I can beat your time at the 5K run, Sally."
Sally: "You're a daisy if you do, Kim."
You're a Daisy if You Do Origin
The origin of "you're a daisy if you do" comes from the legendary figure "Doc Holiday." Doc Holiday was one of Wyatt Earp's right-hand men and an essential part of his team. Doc Holiday formed the expression before entering a gunfight with Frank McLaury.
McLaury said, "I've got you now," to which Doc replied, "Blaze away, you're a daisy if you have." At the time, Doc referred to his skill in gunfights and his confidence in stating that Frank didn't stand a chance.
The phrase will later shift to "you're a daisy if you do." In the 1993 film "Tombstone," Doc Holidays character, played by Val Kilmer, uses the phrase in the new version, telling Frank McLaury, "You're a daisy if you do."
Phrases Similar to You're a Daisy if You Do
- You're a daisy if you have.
- Yeah, right.
- Sure you do.
Phrases Opposite to You're a Daisy if You Do
- You got me.
- I don't stand a chance.
- You have the upper hand.
What is the Correct Saying?
- You're a daisy if you do.
- You're a daisy if you have.
Ways People May Say You're a Daisy if You Do Incorrectly
Some people may not use the phrase in the right context. Using it as a compliment is not correct. Using the idiom to promote someone else's talents is not valid.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase You're a Daisy if You Do
The context of "you're a daisy if you do" is a somewhat derogatory statement towards another person, telling them they don't have the skill they think they have. You can use this idiom as a retort to a challenge when you feel you have the upper hand and want to diminish the other party's confidence.