A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. Youd be in a real fix then. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Poor little doggy. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. 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. 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. No Bigger Than a Minnow in a Fishing Pond, A Rooster One Day and A Feather Duster the Next, If You Know These Sayings, You Definitely Grew Up in the South, Only Real Southerners Know the Meaning of "Putting On the Dog", Things Only Southern Moms Say To Their Daughters, Things Only Southerners Say When It Snows. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. If the Creek Don't Rise. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. 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 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. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. 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. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. 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. 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. 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. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. 15. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. You'll also find a longer version of my official bio: It's bold, powerful, dark and hard to believe that this is a debut novel. 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. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. 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. This was an extremely enjoyable read! Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. 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. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. "Like all great southern. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. Your email address will not be published. It can also be the opening to striking a bargain, sharing a strongly held opinion, or offering a piece of advice you may or may not want to hear. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as hold your horses and pretty as a peach nationwide, youll likely only hear the following from a true Southerner. Any of you word experts have solid information? The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. Ain't got no dog in that race. 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. And that is the highest praise from me. 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. We didnt. The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. "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. "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. It can be summarised as if all goes well. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. [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. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. 1851. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. False folk etymology. Older than Methuselah. 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. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. 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. He was a politician and Indian agent. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". 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!. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. And I mean took me there! Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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.". Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. 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. Donate via PayPal. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Back when I was in the fourth grade we had an English teacher who dumped a box of books out one day and told us to read them and do book reports. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. 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. It is a modern error to presume that "the creek don't rise" is a grammatical error, so the fact that a speaker in the past was college educated would not be an argument against his having used the phrase. Whatscatawampus? 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. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. I will continue to look for references to this phrase origin and would welcome discussion to prove (one way or the other) what the original author intended to mean. 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. 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. 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.. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. 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. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. "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." I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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. You might say cocola. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. It must surely be the creation of a fertile modern mind desiring to put the flesh of evidence on the dry bones of outright invention. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. "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 "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" "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." There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. 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? 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!. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. [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. 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. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. Doh! This article about the English language is a stub. 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.". 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. Cookies and privacy
It can be summarised as "if all goes well". Hardy citizens awoken by first responders urging evacuation, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: EPC boys fall to Marshall in Quarterfinals, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys fall to Bigelow in Quarterfinals, Arkansas State womens basketball falls to Southern Miss in SBC Quarterfinals, Arkansas women's basketball falls to #1 South Carolina in SEC Tournament, Fast Break Friday Night (3/3/23): Jonesboro boys advance to 6A state semifinals. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. A true Southern tradition. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. 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? In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. 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. "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. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. But I know of just four instances from that century. 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. 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. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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. 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. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. 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. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. 4.5 stars! 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. It's raining cats and dogs. World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. 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. Paperback, 305 pages. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing 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'." 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. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. Positive thinking, Southern style. 24 of 30. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. 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. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. Well, I found it. 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. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's .
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