Why is the cricket position called 'silly mid on' named so?

Why is the cricket position called 'silly mid on' named so?

ANS 1:It derives from the fact that the fielder is positioned so close to the batsman that he would be unable to take evasive action if the ball were to be hit very hard towards him, ie it is a potentially dangerous position to take up. This is why silly mid on is only brought in when a weaker batsman (such as myself) is facing the bowling.

ANS 2:If you have ever played cricket in this position you would understand why it is called that. In fact it is a bit of a misnomer as it should be Suicide Mid On. It is close to the batsman in direct line of the direction he is most likely to hit the ball in.

ANS 3:The name can also be applied to Mid-off, point and cover and as the previous responses said derives from the fact that they are dangerously close to the batsman.