Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. 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. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! Select your currency from the list and click Donate. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Dylan LeBlanc - If The Creek Don't Rise Lyrics | Genius Lyrics I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. It mentions . If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Donate via PayPal. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. "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 a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. There is no typical Southern accent. "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]. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. Mentioning Benjamin Hawkins is a masterstroke, since he was the General Superintendent for Indian Affairs between 1796 and 1818 and was principal Indian agent to the Creek nation; he became so close to its people that he learned their language, was adopted by them and married a Creek woman. Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. 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.". There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. 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. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. From another source Some historians attribute Benjamin Hawkins as having been the first person to ever say these words and he did so in a letter to the President of the United States. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? 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!. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". 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. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. In the Deep South? 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . 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. 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. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. Pot callin the kettle black. Over yonder past the cotton field. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. 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). If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. 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. 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!! He was a politician and Indian agent. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? 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. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." 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. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. John Wayne. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. If The Creek Don't Rise Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. 'Creek don't rise' is a phrase with possibly more than one meaning It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. 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. Anytime it rains as hard as it did last night, it always brings back fears of having to face something like we did in 1984, he said. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. The Problem with Saying, "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". 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. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). A Quite certainly not. 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. Change). It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. 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. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). I was surprised as all get out. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel - Leah Weiss - Google Books Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. 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.. Is this derivation correct? According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. 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. 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. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. I was reading a post on one of the West Virginia pages that I follow in which a person referenced God willing and the creeks dont rise. in reference to rain and floods. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. Wheres my blasted phone?. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. 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.. 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. "Like all great southern. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. God willing and the creek don't rise - World Wide Words Share. Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. He was a politician and Indian agent. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. This book reminds me of that. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. And that is the highest praise from me. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. (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.). That book was a 1908 publication and leans toward the thought of Creek Indian, even if not capitalized, because of the word fire (as in shooting guns). In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. If the Creek Don't Rise. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. 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 really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. 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 General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). History: God Willing And The Creek Dont 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. the creek don't rise. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. You might say cocola. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Statements of the form "God/Lord willing and (some other condition being met)" are ancient extensions of simple acceptance of God's will in phrases like God willing and Lord willing. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 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. It's raining cats and dogs. and the word HOPE. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. The phrase "God willing." - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. Get help and learn more about the design. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. 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. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." 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. 15. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia 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. Sentences With "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" | Random If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise | Native Heritage Project Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. 132 Copy quote. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . 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. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. Any of you word experts have solid information? An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Well, I found it. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. The English language is forever changing. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. Over yonder down the road. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise" - Factual Questions "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 turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Youre still going to the grocery store. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? Whatscatawampus? 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. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. 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. 40 OLD PHRASES AND SAYINGS - Grammy's Grid For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. by Leah Weiss. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. 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. 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. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. Paperback, 305 pages. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. The doin hasnt been done yet. "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it.