(the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. 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. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Ain't got no dog in that race. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. 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.". Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. and the word HOPE. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. 1851. Its not a recent change. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. Often said as Lord willing and the creek dont rise, this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. All rights reserved. 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. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. Let me love you again, give me one more try. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. There's two or three creeks," he said. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Fans of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will love this intimate insight into a fiercely proud, tenacious community and relish the voices of the forgotten folks of Baines Creek. 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. But despite its gentle execution, this story delivers some of the heaviest of punches and invites the reader to step outside of the book for a spell When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. (LogOut/ 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. "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." "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. Is this derivation correct? 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. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. 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. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. 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.". 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. Your email address will not be published. I was surprised as all get out. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. (LogOut/ In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. 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. And I mean took me there! The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Cookies and privacy "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. 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! Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. 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. 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. 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. 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. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. 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 was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. 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. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. 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. 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 really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. 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. "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. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. 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. Poor little doggy. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). 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. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. A Quite certainly not. 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. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. 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. Get help and learn more about the design. Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. 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. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. 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. John Wayne. We didnt. You might say cocola. 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. I reckon she skipped town on account of her mama being madder than a wet hen. Alongside fixin to, this is a quintessential term to strike a match under your vocab and hear it holler Yeehaw!! But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. This article about the English language is a stub. Other words sites In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. Learn how your comment data is processed. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Over yonder down the road. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. 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. 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. purchase. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. 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).. Donate via PayPal. 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. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. the creek don't rise. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. 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. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. 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. Youd be in a real fix then. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. 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. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). I will be at church on Sunday. All rights reserved. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. But I know of just four instances from that century. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 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. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. 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. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Doh! (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. "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. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. If The Creek Don't Rise. Actually this is not proven. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. There is no typical Southern accent. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. He was a politician and Indian agent. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. 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. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. 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. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. 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. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. 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).