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Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. 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. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." 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. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? 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. Share. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A But I know of just four instances from that century. 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. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. 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. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. These skies can darken at a moment's notice, and summer afternoons often see winds churning and heavy rain clouds blowing in to cool that Southern summer heat. 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. (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.). 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. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. 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. 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. Historically, Southerners in the Appalachian mountains pronounced eternal as tarnal. That pronunciation suggests a clever word-smoosh between tarnal and damnation, so the savvy Appalachians could euphemistically express their anger without wasting an extra breath. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" was later covered by Johnny Cash during his tenure at Sun, and a few of the other tracks here ", If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "World Wide Words: God willing and the creek don't rise", "William Clark Green: 'Ringling Road' Album Review", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_the_Good_Lord%27s_Willing_and_the_Creek_Don%27t_Rise&oldid=1067282742, "If The Lord's Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise", song by, "If The Good Lord's Willing And The Creek Don't Rise", Lattie Moore, Jerry Reed 1961, "If The Good Lord's Willing", Ray Godfrey, arranged Jerry Reed, Tollie Records 1964, "(Be The Good Lord Willing) The Creek Don't Rise", Jivin' Gene, arranged Smith, Hall-Way Records 1964, "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise", with the lyric "God willin' an the creek don't rise, I'll be home again before this time next year." Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. 40 OLD PHRASES AND SAYINGS - Grammy's Grid 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. 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. 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. This was an extremely enjoyable read! It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. 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. 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. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. 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. All rights reserved. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. 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. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. 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. 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. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. 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. A true Southern tradition. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Doh! And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. Let me love you again, give me one more try. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. Creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin - Phrasefinder If The Creek Don't Rise 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 don't rise." (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. 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. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. A true Southern tradition. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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! What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Copyright 2023 KAIT. False folk etymology. 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. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (LogOut/ Select your currency from the list and click Donate. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Any of you word experts have solid information? Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. 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. 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 mentions . 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). Youd be in a real fix then. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. 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. Can't Never Could. Have you ever seen a wet hen? Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Its not a recent change. 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. Youre still going to the grocery store. 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). "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. If the Creek Don't Rise. 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. 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. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. 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. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. A Quite certainly not. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love purchase. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. 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. 24 of 30. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. Over yonder toward the water tower. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. Faire can mean both do and make. This phrase entered the Southern vernacular via Louisiana and is in regular use in the New Orleans area. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Paperback, 305 pages. 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. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. We didnt. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. 132 Copy quote. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 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. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". 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. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). 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.". If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel - Leah Weiss - Google Books Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. 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. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise: Tales From the South Kindle Edition Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. 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. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. 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 In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise" - Factual Questions They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. 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. Weiss has a unique voice. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. 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.