# What is the Vassar Daisy Chain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 14, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554 "2003-04-14T04:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/1 "2003-04-14T04:08:12Z")
Saw a hardback copy of “The Group” by Mary McCarthy for a dollar at the hospital volunteer stand, and bought it to read again. Good decision. Only this time, I said to myself, I’m going to find out what all these mysterious Vassar references mean. Down here in Australia, the word Vassar itself has no meaning for most people. As a twelve-year old, I struggled gamely through the book, using my imagination and I suppose, getting it mostly right. As a fifty-year-old, I’d like to get the details sorted. So I went to the internet, and I am a little better informed. I can now tell you what a Vassar Devil is (a square of Devil’s Food Cake, with Vanilla Icecream, Chocolate Fudge and a Marshmallow Sauce on top), and confirm for you that both **Jacqueline Bouvier** and **Meryl Streep** were Vassar girls (it figures), and that Matthew Vassar died (peacefully) while addressing the trustees of the college he’d founded. However, all the references that Google and Jeeves supply talk about the Daisy Chain, or show you a picture of one, but don’t actually say what it is! Obviously some kind of “best looking girls” thing, but I’d like to know more. Who chooses 'em, whendo they do whatever it is they do (walk in procession carrying garlands of daisies?) Any Vassar girls posting here? Or just well-informed general readers? Thanks in advance, Redboss ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/2 "2003-04-14T04:42:57Z")
From Vassar’s [Student Handbook](http://deanofthecollege.vassar.edu/studenthandbook0001.pdf) (PDF format): > [@](#): > > Daisy Chain—The most famous of the Vassar traditions. A chain of daisies and laurel is carried at commencement by a group of sophomore women (the seniors’ sister class) who are chosen by the senior class council. A group of sophomore men are chosen as well, to usher at graduation. Daisy Chain members and ushers assist the senior class in activities during commencement week and with arrangements for the senior prom. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/3 "2003-04-14T06:07:18Z")
We had something similar at my college. I am sure it was ripped off from Vassar, or else we both got it from some other classical source. The sophomore class dresses in white, and they carry the daisy chain on their shoulders. It’s a ropelike thing that is covered with greenery and has daisies woven into it. They sing a lot of the traditional songs of my college as they march. Then at some point they lift it and move it to the shoulders of their graduating sister senior class. _sniffle_ ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/4 "2003-04-14T13:11:33Z")
Daisy chain, daisy chain,…Vassar daisy chain…I’m having trouble shaking off some images here… ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/5 "2003-04-14T13:28:08Z")
Thank gods for that. I thought it was only me. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/6 "2003-04-14T13:57:23Z")
. . . Which reminds me of the book Dorothy Parker threatened to write, “_I Am a Fugitive from a Daisy Chain Gang_ . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/7 "2003-04-14T14:35:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > \*\*We had something similar at my college. I am sure it was ripped off from Vassar, or else we both got it from some other classical source. > > The sophomore class dresses in white, and they carry the daisy chain on their shoulders. It’s a ropelike thing that is covered with greenery and has daisies woven into it. They sing a lot of the traditional songs of my college as they march. Then at some point they lift it and move it to the shoulders of their graduating sister senior class. > \*\* Either this sort of thing is common at women’s colleges or **Cranky** is an alum of my school, because we do the exact same thing here. I didn’t participate as a sophomore, but I guess I will as a senior this year since it’s a part of the graduation festivities. I don’t know about what they do at _Vassar_, but here it’s not at all a “best looking girls” thing – AFAIK any sophomore who hangs around after final exams until graduation can help make and carry the chain. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/8 "2003-04-14T15:35:37Z")
Don’t worry too much about the term creating images in your minds. Jokes about daisy chains at all-girl’s colleges go way back into the 20th century. At least. And Google tells me that Daisy Chain is a hot porn star in girl/girl videos. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/9 "2003-04-14T15:43:42Z")
Indeed. My wife got an unforgettable moment of embarassment when she saw “The Last Emperor” with her grandparents, who were born around the turn of the century. Her grandmother was a flapper, and when a certain scene began, she piped up, loud and clear “In my day, we called that a daisy chain!”. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/10 "2003-04-16T06:43:06Z")
Thank you all for your replies informative, speculative and self-revelatory in turn. Redboss ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/11 "2003-04-16T12:14:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > **when a certain scene began** Didn’t see the movie. What was the scene? ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/12 "2003-04-16T16:35:27Z")
One prince, more than one concubine, you can figure out the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/13 "2003-04-16T17:32:40Z")
I’ve heard it called a “train”, but that’s when it’s one female to X males. But never a daisy chain! Heh. Old people are funny. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/14 "2003-04-16T17:41:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*Heh. Old people are funny. \*\* [ul]😉 [sup] **The feeling is more than mutual!** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/15 "2003-04-16T20:10:54Z")
If all the girls from Vassar were laid end to end, I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised.[sup]\*[/sup] - Dorothy Parker ## Peace [sup]\*[/sup]The most often quoted paraphrase of what originally was something like [this.](http://www.bartleby.com/66/15/43615.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-vassar-daisy-chain/168554/16 "2003-04-17T04:42:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*I’ve heard it called a “train”, but that’s when it’s one female to X males. But never a daisy chain! Heh. Old people are funny. \*\* Well, Barbara was a very high-society lady. She was on the social register of New York and Washington, DC, some years back. “Pulling a train.” would simply have been too uncouth to describe “enthusiastic events” in her day. Yes, Virginia, there were wild parties before the 1960s…