New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. The Problem with Saying, "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" But if the supposed letter was ever written, it doesnt now exist in any archive that any researcher has so far found (his letters have been published, if anybody would like to check). Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. This article about the English language is a stub. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. "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 can be summarised as "if all goes well". She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. 'Creek don't rise' is a phrase with possibly more than one meaning 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.. Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary 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. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 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. Older than Methuselah. 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. There is no typical Southern accent. A Quite certainly not. 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. 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. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. And I mean took me there! Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . 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. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. 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. Often said as "Lord willing and the creek don't rise," this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. from The New York Times: And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 70 years old. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. You might say cocola. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. 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.". "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 [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. 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 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. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. 132 Copy quote. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). 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). Change). Sign up for writing inspiration in your email, , Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!, The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". 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. All the ones I know from growin up : r/ShitSouthernersSay And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. 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. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. and the word HOPE. TOP 25 QUOTES BY JOHN WAYNE (of 133) | A-Z Quotes Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. Do You Know These Sizzlin' Southern Sayings? - Dictionary.com 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. 133 Copy quote. The phrase "God willing." - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. 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 Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. 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. History: God Willing And The Creek Dont Rise Other words sites
Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Here are a couple of examples of this claim. God willing and the creek don't rise - World Wide Words 4.5 stars! Because this is a progressive verb (youll make progress with it for sure), remember You were fixin to patch the hole in the wall. Never say you fixed to do it! 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. 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. Copyright 2023 KAIT. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Doh! 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! "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. All rights reserved. Disney lost control of its Florida kingdom for opposing the "Don't Say It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. 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. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. A true Southern tradition. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. Those who live on Valley Drive along the Spring River in Hardy awoke around 3 Friday morning to first responders urging them to leave their homes due to rising water. (LogOut/ A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. 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. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise" - Factual Questions There's two or three creeks," he said. The New Madrid earthquake (reputedly the largest in recorded history in North America) created the division between traditionalist Creek (Red Sticks) and those more willing to seek accommodation with the majority of the tribe. "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." Talk:Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. What in tarnation? "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." 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. 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. [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. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. A true Southern tradition. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. From the beginning, the first narrative of Sadie Blue, which broke my heart from the first page, it feels like it will be her story. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. 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