They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". 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. Get help and learn more about the design. 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. [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. (LogOut/ 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. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. Older than Methuselah. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. 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.. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." 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 To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. There is no typical Southern accent. 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. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. In the Deep South? 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. the creek don't rise. 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. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. 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. purchase. 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. Youll thank us later! 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). 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. 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. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". 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. Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." 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. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. "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]. (LogOut/ An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. The English language is forever changing. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. Well, I found it. Let me love you again, give me one more try. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. This book reminds me of that. I have even heard the accents and many of the stories from various artists who escaped the confines of this culture and were successful in attaining fame and fortune for themselves. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. The first big battles in the Creek War were, indeed, attacks on white settlements, but it was not a matter of an uprising that threatened settlers, rather it was an outbreak of war between two armed groups in which whites and Indians sought each other out. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. If you've ever been caught in a summer storm, you know that you can feel, smell, and see a storm blowin' up across the wide Southern skies. "Like all great southern. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. Learn how your comment data is processed. You gonna do nothing?". 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. 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!. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. A true Southern tradition. 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. 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. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. 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. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. 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!! 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. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. "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 It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". A true Southern tradition. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" Change). Wheres my blasted phone?. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Copyright 2023 KAIT. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. 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. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. 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. [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. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Did you know the saying God willing and the Creek dont rise was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? 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. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). Someone kicked in with we say cricks. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. This phrase enjoyed national exposure in 1988 after Texas Governor Ann Richards remarked: When we pay billions for planes that wont fly, billions for tanks that wont fire, and billions for systems that wont workthat old dog wont hunt.. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Speaking ofI declare, this now old-fashioned phrase acts as flustered response to an insult or an unbelievable story about someone who sadly made it into the rumor mill. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. 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. 1851. 24 of 30. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Another publication, Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Jurisdiction, Volumes 88-89, coins the phrase: if the Lord is willing and the creek dont fire, we will so do. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. Paperback, 305 pages. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." 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. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. 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. 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. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. 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. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. 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. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if 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. It mentions . In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". The New Madrid earthquake (reputedly the largest in recorded history in North America) created the division between traditionalist Creek (Red Sticks) and those more willing to seek accommodation with the majority of the tribe. 133 Copy quote. It's raining cats and dogs. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. This article about the English language is a stub. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. But despite its gentle execution, this story delivers some of the heaviest of punches and invites the reader to step outside of the book for a spell Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? 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. "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." There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? 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. Signed in November, 1785, A Treaty With the Cherokee (the technical name of the Treaty of Hopewell) created the first rift between theCherokee Nationand the Chickamauga Cherokee that would not end until the Chickamauga went West following the Revolt of the Young Chiefs. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". 4.5 stars! 15. 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. The doin hasnt been done yet. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. 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. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Does a bear shit in the woods? If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Is this derivation correct? "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. 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. Unarguable Southern criticism. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. If The Creek Don't Rise. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. But I know of just four instances from that century. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . "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." Donate via PayPal. 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. 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). Its not a recent change. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. 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. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? "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. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. 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.
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