if the creek don't rise saying if the creek don't rise saying

Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? The swear-word equivalent would be something along the lines of No sh*t!I declare may have come from an English oath (the sworn proclamation kind) declaring that no foreign parties have power to subvert the Crown. Firsts, Mines, Asks. A true Southern tradition. 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.". Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. "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 that." 04 Mar 2023 03:30:05 She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 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! If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. Whatscatawampus? Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. You'll also find a longer version of my official bio: It's bold, powerful, dark and hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The dialect is obscure and living conditions primitive with a feel more like the 1870's than the 1970's..so backward..so uncivilized..the men so brutal and lawless, and for Sadie Blue, life seems grave. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. It is a modern error to presume that "the creek don't rise" is a grammatical error, so the fact that a speaker in the past was college educated would not be an argument against his having used the phrase. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. We didnt. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. QFrom Bob Scala: An item that has been floating around the internet claims that the expression God willing and the creek dont rise referred to the Creek Indians, not a body of water. I will be at church on Sunday. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. Copyright 2023 KAIT. Baines Creek is a small remote mountain settlement in North Carolina where many can't read, education is unheard of and catastrophic poverty is the norm. from The New York Times: If there is a good state of the world in 2021 the Lord willing and the creek don't rise everyone and all Blue Dogs in office needs to recognize . Poor little doggy. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. Youd be in a real fix then. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. He wrote it in response to a request from the President to return to our Nations Capital and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. All rights reserved. HARDY, Ark. Often said as "Lord willing and the creek don't rise," this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. According to http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Benjamin_Hawkins: Generally recognized as the Creek Indian agent, Benjamin Hawkins also held the title of General Superintendent of all tribes south of the Ohio River. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. The Creek so-called civil war of 1812 involving the Red Stick faction, and their combat North and South, appears to have been an impetus for that forts creation. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. Theres no better zinger than a bless your heart delivered in a condescending tone of voice that implies, as the Southern Decoder puts it, youre dumb, homely, or otherwise impaired, but you cant help it.Go ahead and practice it in the mirror a few times. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 24 of 30. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." 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. Well, hells bells. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. The expression ". If someone tells you that you've got gumption, you should thank them, and then walk a little taller, because you've received a lovely Southern compliment. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. Can't Never Could. "If the creek don't rise" is a slang phrase predominantly used in the Southeastern United States and can translate to "if all goes well." It's a more conditional action statement than the famous phrase "come hell or high water." During the course of his 21 years in these positions he would oversee the longest period of peace with theCreek, only to watch his lifetime of work destroyed by a faction of this Indian Nation known as the Red Sticks during the War of 1812. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. In alternating first person narratives from a cast of characters that will be hard to forget, Leah Weiss took me to the mountain community called Baines Creek in the Appalachian Mountains in NC. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. We like to read this as one of the greatest Southern encouragements, but, like most of these phrases, you can use it however you'd like. The expression is incorrectly attributed on modern social media[citation needed] to an Indian agent, Benjamin Hawkins, in the late 18th century in a rumored letter not found in any archive to the U.S. President. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. "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." Back when I was in the fourth grade we had an English teacher who dumped a box of books out one day and told us to read them and do book reports. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? The doin hasnt been done yet. Pot callin the kettle black. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." But I know of just four instances from that century. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. [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 risewas a whimsical way of saying that the speaker would carry out some task provided that no figurative obstacle were put in his path. And even if it did, the initial capital letter would mean nothing, as at the time it was still common practice to capitalise all nouns. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? False folk etymology. 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. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change). When you arrive on the banks of the fishing pond on Saturday mornings, you're hoping for a good catchenough big catfish and bream to fry up for the family on Saturday night. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Anecdotal evidence from people who have got in touch with me down the years suggests that it has been in regular use throughout the lifetimes of some elderly folk in parts of the US, either in the form you give or as the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. (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.). This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. Positive thinking, Southern style. 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. Have you ever seen a wet hen? 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. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. 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. 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. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. 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. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. It must surely be the creation of a fertile modern mind desiring to put the flesh of evidence on the dry bones of outright invention. A true Southern tradition. Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. 1851. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. Youre still going to the grocery store. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. There's two or three creeks," he said. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. (LogOut/ "Like all great southern. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. It mentions . Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. I see some folks walk easy and carry peace on their shoulders, but I been chained to a iron life." Leah Weiss, If the Creek Don't Rise 3 likes Like Get help and learn more about the design. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . the creek don't rise. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. 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. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Youve heard that old saying, Ill be there if the creek dont rise? Well, theyve all risen, and a lot of people are staying home because of that.. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. Let me love you again, give me one more try. Wow! The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. You might say cocola. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. From the beginning, the first narrative of Sadie Blue, which broke my heart from the first page, it feels like it will be her story. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? Johnny Cash had a hit with the song If The Good Lords Willing, and Hank Williams Jr. titled his song If the Good Lords Willin (And The Creeks Dont Rise).. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. This was an extremely enjoyable read! This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. is a common way to use this next Southern cussemism. It traces to the 1700s and is based on darnation, the mild form of damnation. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Stop right there! The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. Its not a recent change. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. In the Deep South? Well, I found it. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. 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. "Like all great southern writers, Leah Weiss's magic turns the local into the universal." Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author, on All The Little Hopes. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Any of you word experts have solid information? A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. "If God so wills, and as long as intense rain does not wash away bridges or parts of dirt roads, or cover roads too deeply for safely following them." This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. Step into the Deep South and experience the lives and hardships, hopes and dreams, of folk who have nothing except gritand sometimes loveas their currency. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. "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. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. [1][2], Classic versions of its use tend to be along the lines of "The good Lord willing, and the creek doesn't rise"i.e. The researchers went on to cite two different publications in the 1800s in which the authors did not capitalize the word creek, leading one to believe they did not mean the people proper. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. That argues for a more mundane origin: the old-time difficulties of travelling on dirt roads that forded rivers and streams; a sudden storm could cause water levels to rise without warning and render the route impassable. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. January 2021: Hat tip to Maria whonotes that the collection of Benjamin Hawkinss letters has now been digitized and can be read at this link. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. If The Creek Don't Rise. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. 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!. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. You gonna do nothing?". The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Because this is a progressive verb (youll make progress with it for sure), remember You were fixin to patch the hole in the wall. Never say you fixed to do it! Historically, Southerners in the Appalachian mountains pronounced eternal as tarnal. That pronunciation suggests a clever word-smoosh between tarnal and damnation, so the savvy Appalachians could euphemistically express their anger without wasting an extra breath. and the word HOPE. All rights reserved. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. 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. "Druthers" roughly translates to "I would rather," meaning, "If had things my way" The phrase is celebrated in song in the hilarious, Southern-inspired Broadway musical Li'l Abner, in which the title character sings "If I had my druthers, I'd druther have my druthers than anything else I know." But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. If you answered soda, you probably hail from either coast or some patches around St. Louis or Milwaukee.Pop lovers congregate mostly in the Midwest and western states. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. (LogOut/ Siever, known as Nolichucky Jack to his friends, was as brutal to the Cherokee and Creek as they were to him, but Siever knew to frame his attacks as responses to incursion or wrongs. 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. A different style for the story telling in this as we hear from many of the people in this town and Sadie Blues own story is woven through the fabric of theirs. "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" is a sort of backwoods phrase that has the same meaning, but is more folksy and less devoted. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. Over yonder past the cotton field. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Weiss has a unique voice. Therefore if the Lord is willing and the Creek don't rise up and start up another uprising or battle, we will be able complete what ever it is we intend to do. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. By extension, maybe the Southern US expression was the way for an affronted or shocked listener to say none of that crazy untoward talk or behavior shall have power over me.. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. 25 Southern Grandparents' Sayings That Deserve a Comeback, Forgotten Etiquette Every Child Should Learn, Kimberly Schlapman and Her Family's Tea Cakes, Lauren Alaina Talks 'American Idol', Southern Manners, and Her Grandmother's Famous Recipe, 30 Quotes That Remind Us Why Southern Manners Are So Important. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. (LogOut/ And that is the highest praise from me. Theres nothing more Southern than a lively Hey, yall! And dont you dare think of spelling it yallSouthern Living has decreed this contraction of you all is spelled one way, and one way only. We like to read this as one of the greatest Southern encouragements, but, like most of these phrases, you can use it however you'd like. Something needed to fill in the gap: Yall is one solution associated with the South, with all generally serving to clarify more than one you is being addressed. My favorite variant is the phrase Hank Williams Sr. sometimes used to end his shows: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you before long." - MT_Head. There is no typical Southern accent. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. And I mean took me there! Most of the ones on paved roads had bridges or culverts by that time, but not all of them and everyone still clearly knew what that saying meant even if the threat wasnt very real anymore. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across.