Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. 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. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Here are a couple of examples of this claim. You gonna do nothing?". 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. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. 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. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? "If the creek don't rise" is a slang phrase predominantly used in the Southeastern United States and can translate to "if all goes well." It's a more conditional action statement than the famous phrase "come hell or high water." I was surprised as all get out. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. 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. 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.". 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. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." John Wayne. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. Statements of the form "God/Lord willing and (some other condition being met)" are ancient extensions of simple acceptance of God's will in phrases like God willing and Lord willing. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. Let me love you again, give me one more try. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. Wow! Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. If the Creek Don't Rise. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. What in tarnation? 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. Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary A true Southern tradition. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' 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. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss | Goodreads HARDY, Ark. by Leah Weiss. Can't Never Could. 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 have even heard the accents and many of the stories from various artists who escaped the confines of this culture and were successful in attaining fame and fortune for themselves. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. The swear-word equivalent would be something along the lines of No sh*t!I declare may have come from an English oath (the sworn proclamation kind) declaring that no foreign parties have power to subvert the Crown. Youre still going to the grocery store. It mentions . the creek don't rise. "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. History: God Willing And The Creek Dont Rise IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? The expression ". [2] In the Reed song and Cash cover the verses vary the rhyme, so the opening line commences: If the good Lord's willing and the creek stays down I'll be in your arms time the moon come around. 'Creek don't rise' is a phrase with possibly more than one meaning Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? And even if it did, the initial capital letter would mean nothing, as at the time it was still common practice to capitalise all nouns. 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). (LogOut/ Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia 15 Kentucky Sayings Other People Wouldn't Understand - OnlyInYourState Someone kicked in with we say cricks. If The Creek Don't Rise. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? 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. Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. We didnt. Does a bear shit in the woods? Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. "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." Dylan LeBlanc - If The Creek Don't Rise Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. purchase. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). 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 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. 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. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. 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. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. 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. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. If The Creek Don't Rise (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. [1][2], Classic versions of its use tend to be along the lines of "The good Lord willing, and the creek doesn't rise"i.e. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads 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. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? This United Statesrelated article is a stub. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. 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. Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A Any of you word experts have solid information? This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. (LogOut/ "Druthers" roughly translates to "I would rather," meaning, "If had things my way" The phrase is celebrated in song in the hilarious, Southern-inspired Broadway musical Li'l Abner, in which the title character sings "If I had my druthers, I'd druther have my druthers than anything else I know." Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . Do You Know These Sizzlin' Southern Sayings? - Dictionary.com 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. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. 15. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. The English language is forever changing. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. 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. He was a politician and Indian agent. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. 133 Copy quote. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. 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.. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. 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. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. Your email address will not be published. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. TOP 25 QUOTES BY JOHN WAYNE (of 133) | A-Z Quotes Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. You might say cocola. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. Poor little doggy. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Donate via PayPal. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? 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.". The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. 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! Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. 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. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. 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.