During the early days of the War of 1812, one party of Creek marched north and joined the Indians fighting in Ohio and Michigan, participating in the River Raisin Massacre. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. The resulting warfare and predictable civilian losses in the South reportedly gave rise (using the Southern frontier penchant for willin as opposed to the educated willing) to the phrase which was then likely mistakenly attributed to Hawkins due to his Native American connections. There's two or three creeks," he said. In a letter to the Commander in Chief, Hawkins stated that he would return to the nations capital, God willing and the Creek dont rise., Hawkins, college-educated and a well-written man would never have made a grammatical error, so the capitalization of Creek is the only way the phrase could make sense and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. I will be at church on Sunday. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. False folk etymology. "You've heard that old saying, 'I'll be there if the creek don't rise?' Well, they've all risen, and a lot of people are staying home because of. I will continue to look for references to this phrase origin and would welcome discussion to prove (one way or the other) what the original author intended to mean. Often said as Lord willing and the creek dont rise, this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Wikipedia Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. Variants substitute "God" or "Good Lord" (with or without "the") for "Lord", and substitute "crick" or "river" for "creek", or capitalize it as "Creek" or "Creeks" based on confusion with the Creek Indian tribe. All of my life there have been local mountain sayings that I've heard and of course repeated, complete with a North Carolina southern drawl as literal fact. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. Firsts, Mines, Asks. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. It was bad as all get out. If The Creek Don't Rise is a unique novel whose structure feels light and breezy and veers drastically from the standard formula found in fiction. At the same time there is some evidence that the creation of Fort Deposit (Fort Deposite) in Georgia was a cause of concern in that munitions and arms were stockpiled. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. Well, hells bells. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. We are an American people, born under the flag of independence and if the Lord is willing and the creeks dont rise, the American people who made this country will come pretty near controlling it. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (Recall, also, that the Creek who did go to war against the whites were a smaller group within the Creek nation and that the larger group remained neutral or actively assisted the whites in the warat which point they were betrayed by having the U.S. sieze all their land.). In his response, he was said to write, God willing and the Creek dont rise. Because he capitalized the word Creek it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Over yonder toward the water tower. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as hold your horses and pretty as a peach nationwide, youll likely only hear the following from a true Southerner. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. This 19th-century phrase was once used to refer to some fierce, imaginary beast, until we went off course and adopted the current meaning of "awry.". (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. [2] In the Reed song and Cash cover the verses vary the rhyme, so the opening line commences: If the good Lord's willing and the creek stays down I'll be in your arms time the moon come around. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . Hawkins, college-educated and a well-written man would never have made a grammatical error, so the capitalization of Creek is the only way the phrase could make sense. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. A true Southern tradition. From the present day of the story in 1970 to flashbacks of the past and dreams, these various points of view give us a vivid picture of this place and the people who live there. Historians and etymologists may cringe, but the modern usage of Lord willin and the creek (or crick) dont rise is about the stream, not the Creek tribe. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. Ain't got no dog in that race. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? All the ones I know from growin up : r/ShitSouthernersSay While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Sign up for writing inspiration in your email, , Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!, The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. This is our creative way of saying that you shouldn't crow like a rooster about your wealth and belonging today, because it could all disappear tomorrow. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Any of you word experts have solid information? The nabbit, gonnit, gummit, blasted, and burnit match the rhythm of damn it, but they can easily be modified for use as an adjective or adverb: That dagnab idiot didnt look to the dadgum left and, dadburnit, he crossed over in my dadblasted lane and dadburn near hit me. When used as a stand-alone oath, hold out on the first syllable and accentuate the second: DaaadGUMMit! from The New York Times: And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 70 years old. At the time Hawkins was Congressman, he joined other well known Southeastern American leaders in negotiating a major treaty with the Creek and Cherokee at the South Carolina city of Hopewell. Weiss has a unique voice. Youre still going to the grocery store. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. If you've read the book summary, you already know Sadie Blue lives with a devil of a man, but she's not the only one who has lived with a wife beater of a husband. the creek don't rise. He was a politician and Indian agent. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). John Wayne. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. Hardy citizens awoken by first responders urging evacuation, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: EPC boys fall to Marshall in Quarterfinals, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys fall to Bigelow in Quarterfinals, Arkansas State womens basketball falls to Southern Miss in SBC Quarterfinals, Arkansas women's basketball falls to #1 South Carolina in SEC Tournament, Fast Break Friday Night (3/3/23): Jonesboro boys advance to 6A state semifinals. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. With a colorful cast of characters and a flair for the Southern Gothic, If the Creek Don't Rise is a debut novel bursting with heart, honesty, and homegrown grit. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. 15 Odd Southern Sayings Their Origins - Bourbon and Boots The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 30 Phrases Only Southerners Use I reckon she skipped town on account of her mama being madder than a wet hen. Alongside fixin to, this is a quintessential term to strike a match under your vocab and hear it holler Yeehaw!! It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. So, if during the time of Benjamin Hawkins life, the Creek Indians were experiencing the longest period of peace, why would he fear that they would rise. Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary Turn around, and please dont drive through it. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. This one may be self-explanatory, but we can imagine it originating back in the days of stagecoaches, when horse-and-buggy pairs filled the streets. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". Yet here I stand before you a speckled hermit, wrapt in the risen-sun counterpane of my popilarity, an intendin, Providence permittin, and the creek dont rise, to go it blind!. The History And Traditions That Make Hanukkah Light Up, Examples Of Ableist Language You May Not Realize Youre Using, Winter 2023 New Words: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Fall In Love With 14 Captivating Valentines Day Words, Rizz And 7 Other Slang Trends That Explain The Internet In 2023, Win With Qi And This List Of Our Best Scrabble Words, We Had ChatGPT Coin Nonsense PhrasesAnd Then We Defined Them, Surprise! Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. Theres two or three creeks, he said. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Can't Never Could. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. If The Creek Don't Rise. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. (LogOut/ Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. What in tarnation? and the word HOPE. Poor little doggy. Let me love you again, give me one more try. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. God willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com Now, she admits to saying this to her children. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. You gonna do nothing?". (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. Depending on where you are, youre likely to hear words combined together (gonna for going to) and different vowel sounds than youre used to, including mah for my and git for get.Git has been in use since the 16th century all over the country, but is particularly common in the South, where it appears in everything from classic literature (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird) to personal correspondence (I want you to write me as soon as you git this letter, from a letter dating back to the Civil War). (LogOut/ Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. purchase. Pot callin the kettle black. "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" was later covered by Johnny Cash during his tenure at Sun, and a few of the other tracks here ", If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "World Wide Words: God willing and the creek don't rise", "William Clark Green: 'Ringling Road' Album Review", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_the_Good_Lord%27s_Willing_and_the_Creek_Don%27t_Rise&oldid=1067282742, "If The Lord's Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise", song by, "If The Good Lord's Willing And The Creek Don't Rise", Lattie Moore, Jerry Reed 1961, "If The Good Lord's Willing", Ray Godfrey, arranged Jerry Reed, Tollie Records 1964, "(Be The Good Lord Willing) The Creek Don't Rise", Jivin' Gene, arranged Smith, Hall-Way Records 1964, "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise", with the lyric "God willin' an the creek don't rise, I'll be home again before this time next year." From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE - Leah Weiss Well, that might just push you over the edge, and as you lean back youre bound to say, Im as full as a tick. Itd be plumb crazy not to express yourself (and your full belly) with this fun, old Southern idiom. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." It is 1970, and we follow the story of a young Appalachian girl, Sadie Blue age 17, pregnant and newly married to an evil young man who is abusive. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. No Bigger Than a Minnow in a Fishing Pond, A Rooster One Day and A Feather Duster the Next, If You Know These Sayings, You Definitely Grew Up in the South, Only Real Southerners Know the Meaning of "Putting On the Dog", Things Only Southern Moms Say To Their Daughters, Things Only Southerners Say When It Snows. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. We didnt. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 15 Kentucky Sayings Other People Wouldn't Understand - OnlyInYourState (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com I was surprised as all get out. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. 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