Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. This book reminds me of that. "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. "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. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. If you've read the book summary, you already know Sadie Blue lives with a devil of a man, but she's not the only one who has lived with a wife beater of a husband. 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. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. and the word HOPE. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. 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! The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. 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. 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. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Youll thank us later! PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. Theres no better zinger than a bless your heart delivered in a condescending tone of voice that implies, as the Southern Decoder puts it, youre dumb, homely, or otherwise impaired, but you cant help it.Go ahead and practice it in the mirror a few times. Did you know the saying God willing and the Creek dont rise was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. 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. 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. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. 30 Phrases Only Southerners Use Stop right there! 1851. If The Creek Don't Rise. Theres two or three creeks, he said. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. the creek don't rise. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. 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. 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. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? All rights reserved. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. The resulting warfare and predictable civilian losses in the South reportedly gave rise (using the Southern frontier penchant for willin as opposed to the educated willing) to the phrase which was then likely mistakenly attributed to Hawkins due to his Native American connections. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? Youve heard that old saying, Ill be there if the creek dont rise? Well, theyve all risen, and a lot of people are staying home because of that.. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. 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. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . 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. 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. 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. Region 8 News on Twitter: ""You've heard that old saying, 'I'll be on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. 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. 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. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as hold your horses and pretty as a peach nationwide, youll likely only hear the following from a true Southerner. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". In his response, he was said to write, God willing and the Creek dont rise. Because he capitalized the word Creek it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. The Cree and the Creek lived over a thousand miles apart, (the Cree are from Canada), so we now have people contributing folk etymologies that are nonsense on their face. 4.5 stars! If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel - Leah Weiss - Google Books Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. The expression ". 40 OLD PHRASES AND SAYINGS - Grammy's Grid I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. A multipurpose Southernism. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. 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. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. Any of you word experts have solid information? Now, she admits to saying this to her children. 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. Whatscatawampus? Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com 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. Your email address will not be published. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." 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. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. 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. "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 Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. 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. Well, hells bells. by Leah Weiss. A true Southern tradition. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. It mentions . Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. 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). Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. 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 dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Well, I found it. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. Cookies and privacy Ain't got no dog in that race. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? 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. "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". History: God Willing And The Creek Dont Rise Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. Affixes dictionary. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. (LogOut/ Pot callin the kettle black. Youd be in a real fix then. 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. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. It can be summarised as if all goes well. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. If the Creek Don't Rise. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise" - Factual Questions I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise.

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