"The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. 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 . (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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. 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. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. The story of Benjamin Hawkins relationship with the Creek,Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians goes back to 1786, when America was working on solidifying its hold on the new nation. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Your email address will not be published. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. 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!. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Wikipedia 1851. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. 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. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. "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." The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. 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. 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. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. Stop right there! 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. 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.. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. 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. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. Hawkins served under George Washington as General Superintendent for Indian Affairs (17961818) and had responsibility for the Native American tribes south of the Ohio River, and was principal Indian agent to the Creek Indians. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. You might say cocola. While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] Any of you word experts have solid information? When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. (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.). Positive thinking, Southern style. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. The states involved sent Hawkins,Andrew Pickens(South Carolina), Joseph Martin (Georgia) andLachlan McIntosh(Continental representative, Georgia) to negotiate a treaty to end the fighting. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. God willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com "If The Good Lord's Willing and The Creek Don't Rise" is a 1955 American country song by Jerry Reed which was particularly popularized by the 1958 recording of Johnny Cash and has been covered by multiple artists.[1]. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. Unlike the United States Postal Service, whose motto proclaims "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" will keep them from their routes, sometimes a Southern visit is thwarted by a rising creek or other unexpected bump in the road. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . [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. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! If the creek dont rise was a whimsical way of saying that the speaker would carry out some task provided that no figurative obstacle were put in his path. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. When the U.S. demanded that the murderers be handed over for punishment, the Creek executed them themselves (for the Ohio murders, not for the River Raisin battle and aftermath). "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. If the Creek Don't Rise: Tales From the South Kindle Edition Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR 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. It took a further decade for it to become popular as a supposedly hayseed utterance, sometimes as and the crick dont rise to reflect a regional form. 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. Since we'd never dare hang up the phone while Mama's chatting away, this may be the only way to end your conversation in a timely manner. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Well, I found it. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. The expression ". Fans of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will love this intimate insight into a fiercely proud, tenacious community and relish the voices of the forgotten folks of Baines Creek. 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 Problem with Saying, "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. Region 8 News on Twitter: ""You've heard that old saying, 'I'll be However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. I was surprised as all get out. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. 15 Kentucky Sayings Other People Wouldn't Understand - OnlyInYourState on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. 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. History: God Willing And The Creek Dont Rise 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.. Learn how your comment data is processed. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Hardy citizens awoken by first responders urging evacuation The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. 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. Dylan LeBlanc - If The Creek Don't Rise Lyrics | Genius Lyrics No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. 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. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. All rights reserved. Ain't got no dog in that race. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. It was bad as all get out. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. 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 The Creek Don't Rise. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. And that is the highest praise from me. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. The Cree and the Creek lived over a thousand miles apart, (the Cree are from Canada), so we now have people contributing folk etymologies that are nonsense on their face. 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. For instance if someone invites you to church on Sunday, you would respond "I'll be there with bells on God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise.". We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Take a load off the ole dogs, sit on your front porch, and let your know neighbors know about that sugar honey iced teayou had to deal with today. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Poor little doggy. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. 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. 50 of the Best Southern Sayings | Serving Up Southern Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary Pot callin the kettle black. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? the creek don't rise. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Those who live on Valley Drive along the Spring River in Hardy awoke around 3 Friday morning to first responders urging them to leave their homes due to rising water. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. 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. If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise, If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise, Good Lord's Willin and The Creek Don't Rise, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=1136534691, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 20:39. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. Let me love you again, give me one more try. 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. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Cookies and privacy And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? 133 Copy quote. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. 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!! But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. 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. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. He was a politician and Indian agent. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. You gonna do nothing?". Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. Firsts, Mines, Asks. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads It is a paraphrase of a popular biblical saying from James 4:15, and while there are scores of citations to the phrase in the sense of the waters rising, in the US and Europe, there is not one shred of evidence of a reference to the Creek nation. 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. 15. But if the supposed letter was ever written, it doesnt now exist in any archive that any researcher has so far found (his letters have been published, if anybody would like to check). Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Required fields are marked *. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. 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. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. 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. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. 4.5 stars! 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! Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. Donate via PayPal. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. I doubt it will ever be possible to prove the source of some of these old sayings,but they sure are alot of funThis post set me a thinkin bout some things we grew up saying that we took from our eldersfor example when one is astonished you say Oh my Stars! Or when you havent seen someone in awhile you say I aint seen Hide nor Hair of em since..and there was plenty of times I was toldquit rootin around an causin such a ruckass!usually refering to me being in Granmas gardenand one can never forget the simpleSkeedaddle! Now the devil may knowWhere those sayings come from. Well, hells bells. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. "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." Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Youre still going to the grocery store. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Benjamin_Hawkins, Follow Thoughts and Ponderances on WordPress.com. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. And this is one appearance in a newspaper: 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. Eli is the backbone of the community; all he wants is a better life for the people of Baines Creek evidenced by the succession of teachers he has procured.and been scared off, and his scheming troublemaking spinster of a sister Prudence who "don't like nobody" doesn't help matters any, but when the giant 6' 2" Kate Shaw arrives, wellthat's another story. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). TOP 25 QUOTES BY JOHN WAYNE (of 133) | A-Z Quotes purchase. If The Creek Don't Rise This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". 24 of 30. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . 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. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise | Native Heritage Project Wheres my blasted phone?. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Other words sites A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. 30 Phrases Only Southerners Use God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! (LogOut/ A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. 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. Over yonder down the road. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. 132 Copy quote. 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