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Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. 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. And I mean took me there! Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? 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). Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The states involved sent Hawkins,Andrew Pickens(South Carolina), Joseph Martin (Georgia) andLachlan McIntosh(Continental representative, Georgia) to negotiate a treaty to end the fighting. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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.. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. 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. TOP 25 QUOTES BY JOHN WAYNE (of 133) | A-Z Quotes Theres two or three creeks, he said. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. 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. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. 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. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. All the ones I know from growin up : r/ShitSouthernersSay An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary 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.". "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. (LogOut/ In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). He was a politician and Indian agent. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. In the Deep South? Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. 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. 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. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. 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. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. 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). Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). 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). 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. 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. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. 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. 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. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. 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!. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. The Problem with Saying, "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" It can be summarised as "if all goes well". I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. "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 They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. 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. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. 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. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 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. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. 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. 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. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." 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. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise | Native Heritage Project Poor little doggy. The researchers went on to cite two different publications in the 1800s in which the authors did not capitalize the word creek, leading one to believe they did not mean the people proper. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. It mentions . Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. 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. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. It was bad as all get out. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. A true Southern tradition. 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. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. 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. 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! If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students 30 Phrases Only Southerners Use Its not a recent change. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . 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. 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. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. 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. Unarguable Southern criticism. 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. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Have you ever seen a wet hen? Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Learn how your comment data is processed. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. 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. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). 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. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Share. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A 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. 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. Sentences With "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" | Random While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. 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. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE - Leah Weiss 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. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. Any of you word experts have solid information? "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. You gonna do nothing?". 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR