(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 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 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. 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. It was bad as all get out. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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. 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. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. John Wayne. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. A true Southern tradition. Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. 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. 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. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. And I mean took me there! In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. And Lord have mercy, wait till you meet Birdie with her gamy birds-nest hairdo and top notch fine feathered companion Samuel.and all his buddies. It is a paraphrase of a popular biblical saying from James 4:15, and while there are scores of citations to the phrase in the sense of the waters rising, in the US and Europe, there is not one shred of evidence of a reference to the Creek nation. You might say cocola. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. Unarguable Southern criticism. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Over yonder toward the water tower. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. During the course of his 21 years in these positions he would oversee the longest period of peace with theCreek, only to watch his lifetime of work destroyed by a faction of this Indian Nation known as the Red Sticks during the War of 1812. 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. We didnt. I will be at church on Sunday. Ain't got no dog in that race. 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. False folk etymology. 4.5 stars! Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Baines Creek is a small remote mountain settlement in North Carolina where many can't read, education is unheard of and catastrophic poverty is the norm. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. 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. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. 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. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. "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. 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. 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. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." (LogOut/ Pot callin the kettle black. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. "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." We like to read this as one of the greatest Southern encouragements, but, like most of these phrases, you can use it however you'd like. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. There is no typical Southern accent. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Those who live on Valley Drive along the Spring River in Hardy awoke around 3 Friday morning to first responders urging them to leave their homes due to rising water. 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. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All rights reserved. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. 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. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. We like to read this as one of the greatest Southern encouragements, but, like most of these phrases, you can use it however you'd like. 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. 133 Copy quote. Whatscatawampus? In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. 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. 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. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. 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. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! [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. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. Learn how your comment data is processed. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. and the word HOPE. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Here is an article that casts rather a lot of doubt on your assertion: 'God willing and the creek don't rise' M Quinion_World Wide Words: Q From Bob Scala: An item that has been floating around the internet claims that the expression 'God willing and the creek don't rise' referred to the Creek Indians, not a body of water. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont 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. 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. 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. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. 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. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. 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. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." 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. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." Required fields are marked *. The History And Traditions That Make Hanukkah Light Up, Examples Of Ableist Language You May Not Realize Youre Using, Winter 2023 New Words: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Fall In Love With 14 Captivating Valentines Day Words, Rizz And 7 Other Slang Trends That Explain The Internet In 2023, Win With Qi And This List Of Our Best Scrabble Words, We Had ChatGPT Coin Nonsense PhrasesAnd Then We Defined Them, Surprise! It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. In the Deep South? 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. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. This book reminds me of that. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? Any of you word experts have solid information? Can't Never Could. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. 1851. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. 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. Firsts, Mines, Asks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Positive thinking, Southern style. 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). You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. The English language is forever changing. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. 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. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. 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. Stop right there! The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. It's raining cats and dogs. 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. And that is the highest praise from me. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. 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. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. Actually this is not proven. "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." According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. 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). From the beginning, the first narrative of Sadie Blue, which broke my heart from the first page, it feels like it will be her story. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. from The New York Times: If there is a good state of the world in 2021 the Lord willing and the creek don't rise everyone and all Blue Dogs in office needs to recognize . If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. (LogOut/ This was an extremely enjoyable read! If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . 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. 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. The doin hasnt been done yet. Wow! All rights reserved. Positive thinking, Southern style. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Paperback, 305 pages. Affixes dictionary. 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. And this is one appearance in a newspaper: We are an American people, born under the flag of independence and if the Lord is willing and the creeks dont rise, the American people who made this country will come pretty near controlling it. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. 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. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Well, hells bells. The expression ". Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. 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. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. 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. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. If The Creek Don't Rise. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. Is this derivation correct? 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. What in tarnation? Youll thank us later! Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. the creek don't rise. It can be summarised as if all goes well. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Well, I found it. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. He was a politician and Indian agent. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. 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. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. 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. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise."
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if the creek don't rise saying