Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. 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.". Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. 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 saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. A true Southern tradition. All rights reserved. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. 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. 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. In the Deep South? (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.). "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. 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. 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. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Over yonder down the road. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. purchase. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. 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! He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). 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. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? 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. 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. While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. 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 CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! "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." by Leah Weiss. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). 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. 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).. 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. 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. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. At the time Hawkins was Congressman, he joined other well known Southeastern American leaders in negotiating a major treaty with the Creek and Cherokee at the South Carolina city of Hopewell. 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. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia, that has historically isolated one rural neighborhood or another temporarily inaccessible on several or many occasions. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. All rights reserved. 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. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. the creek don't rise. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. This was an extremely enjoyable read! Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. By date order (spelling and titling may vary): Not to be confused with the Ray LaMontagne album, If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine All Music Guide to Country 0879307609 2003 Page 629 Jerry Reed "Here I Am collects his complete recordings for Capitol (30 songs), most of which were originals. DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. 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. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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). What in tarnation? "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." The saying has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson among others, on the usual principle that attaching a famous name to a story validates it. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. 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. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. 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. It mentions . Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. 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. 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. It can be summarised as if all goes well. I was surprised as all get out. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Paperback, 305 pages. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." HARDY, Ark. 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! 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. Well, whether its Creek or creek, it would still have much of the same effectyou wont be going where you thought you would or could. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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. Unarguable Southern criticism. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. 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. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! Other words sites 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 Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. 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. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. It was bad as all get out. It's raining cats and dogs. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. False folk etymology. A multipurpose Southernism. 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. "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. 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. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. 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. "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 Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." Your email address will not be published. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. Donate via PayPal. 15. "We plan to be there," we might say, and then add on a quick, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise." It's another way of saying, "I am dead serious about keeping my word on this, short of a hurricane or earthquake." In other words, I'm doggedly committed to this unless the devil stops me. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Affixes dictionary. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . Required fields are marked *. 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. (LogOut/ 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. 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. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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. Well, I found it. Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. If The Creek Don't Rise. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The expression "the creek don't rise" is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Any of you word experts have solid information? 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. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. If 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. 4.5 stars! I will be at church on Sunday. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". 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. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. 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. 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. I first heard of the notion of creek meaning Creek on a camping trip a couple of years ago at Barkcamp State Park in the area of Wheeling, WV. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. 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. Does a bear shit in the woods? PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. "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. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. The English language is forever changing. 24 of 30. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. 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. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. 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). He was a politician and Indian agent. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Over yonder toward the water tower. And that is the highest praise from me. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator..

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