Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). 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. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" 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" by Leah Weiss. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. 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. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. Can't Never Could. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." 1851. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. 40 OLD PHRASES AND SAYINGS - Grammy's Grid The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. 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. 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). 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. 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. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. We didnt. Copyright 2023 KAIT. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. Ain't got no dog in that race. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Have you ever seen a wet hen? Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia HARDY, Ark. 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. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. "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. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Learn how your comment data is processed. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Youre still going to the grocery store. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. 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. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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. 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. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . 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 Good Lord's Willing and The Creek Don't Rise" is a 1955 American country song by Jerry Reed which was particularly popularized by the 1958 recording of Johnny Cash and has been covered by multiple artists.[1]. 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. Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary Its not a recent change. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." (LogOut/ While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. 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 phrase "God willing." - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange 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. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Eli is the backbone of the community; all he wants is a better life for the people of Baines Creek evidenced by the succession of teachers he has procured.and been scared off, and his scheming troublemaking spinster of a sister Prudence who "don't like nobody" doesn't help matters any, but when the giant 6' 2" Kate Shaw arrives, wellthat's another story. 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. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. "Like all great southern writers, Leah Weiss's magic turns the local into the universal." Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author, on All The Little Hopes. I was surprised as all get out. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. Get help and learn more about the design. 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. 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. 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? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. 'Creek don't rise' is a phrase with possibly more than one meaning (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). 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. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Whatscatawampus? It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. All the ones I know from growin up : r/ShitSouthernersSay Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. There is no typical Southern accent. 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. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin - Phrasefinder When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. 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. 15 Odd Southern Sayings Their Origins - Bourbon and Boots And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Firsts, Mines, Asks. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? 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. This phrase enjoyed national exposure in 1988 after Texas Governor Ann Richards remarked: When we pay billions for planes that wont fly, billions for tanks that wont fire, and billions for systems that wont workthat old dog wont hunt.. Actually this is not proven. 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. "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. TOP 25 QUOTES BY JOHN WAYNE (of 133) | A-Z Quotes If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel - Leah Weiss - Google Books From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads 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.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. 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 It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. Over yonder past the cotton field. 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. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Do You Know These Sizzlin' Southern Sayings? - Dictionary.com The English language is forever changing. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? 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. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. 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. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. There's two or three creeks," he said. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. purchase. In the Deep South? If the Creek Don't 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. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. 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 Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. Cookies and privacy Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. 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!. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. If the Good Lord is Willing and the Creek don't rise I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. Over yonder down the road. 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. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. If The Creek Don't Rise Wow! We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. 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).. (LogOut/ This phrase isn't about physical appearance. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR He was a politician and Indian agent. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. A Quite certainly not. 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. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. 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. If someone tells you that you've got gumption, you should thank them, and then walk a little taller, because you've received a lovely Southern compliment. 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. John Wayne. 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. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. False folk etymology. 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. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. If the Creek Don't Rise: Tales From the South Kindle Edition 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. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss | Goodreads 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. Disney lost control of its Florida kingdom for opposing the "Don't Say Quick, what do you call a soft drink? The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. A multipurpose Southernism. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students 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. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time.
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