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 Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. 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. 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. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . 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. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. Other words sites No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. 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. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. Youd be in a real fix then. 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. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. 1851. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. 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. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Learn how your comment data is processed. "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. 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. 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. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. 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.". Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. 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. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. Wheres my blasted phone?. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. 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. 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. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. 132 Copy quote. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Have you ever seen a wet hen? 1851. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. Can't Never Could. 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. 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. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking 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. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. 4.5 stars! It mentions . Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. 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. 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. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 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. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. 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. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. Any of you word experts have solid information? Your email address will not be published. Learn how your comment data is processed. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Does a bear shit in the woods? 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. 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. 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. 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. Its not a recent change. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. There's two or three creeks," he said. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. 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.". And that is the highest praise from me. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. "Like all great southern. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. 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. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 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. 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!! 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. 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. A true Southern tradition. 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. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. Doh! Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. 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 New York Times: If there is a good state of the world in 2021 the Lord willing and the creek don't rise everyone and all Blue Dogs in office needs to recognize . by Leah Weiss. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. Mentioning Benjamin Hawkins is a masterstroke, since he was the General Superintendent for Indian Affairs between 1796 and 1818 and was principal Indian agent to the Creek nation; he became so close to its people that he learned their language, was adopted by them and married a Creek woman. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. If The Creek Don't Rise. 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).. 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! Pot callin the kettle black. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. What in tarnation? Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! Over yonder down the road. 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. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. 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. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? "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. Ain't got no dog in that race. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. 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. 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. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Cookies and privacy Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. 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. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Someone kicked in with we say cricks. 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. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. 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. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. I was surprised as all get out. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. Change). Unarguable Southern criticism. Well, I found it. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. (LogOut/ If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. 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. 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. A multipurpose Southernism. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. 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. Historians and etymologists may cringe, but the modern usage of Lord willin and the creek (or crick) dont rise is about the stream, not the Creek tribe. When you arrive on the banks of the fishing pond on Saturday mornings, you're hoping for a good catchenough big catfish and bream to fry up for the family on Saturday night. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. The English language is forever changing. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Over yonder past the cotton field. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. 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. HARDY, Ark. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. And I mean took me there! 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.. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. All rights reserved. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. "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. 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. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. Get help and learn more about the design. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. 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. (LogOut/ Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself."