Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. 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! It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. 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. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. 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. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. 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? (LogOut/ If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. Your email address will not be published. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia, that has historically isolated one rural neighborhood or another temporarily inaccessible on several or many occasions. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. 24 of 30. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. 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. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. Stop right there! 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. 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. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. Older than Methuselah. 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. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. 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. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Youd be in a real fix then. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. 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.. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. 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. 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. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. 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. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. 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. 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. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. 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. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. 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. Can't Never Could. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. Often said as Lord willing and the creek dont rise, this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. 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. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] Youll thank us later! Ain't got no dog in that race. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. But I know of just four instances from that century. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. 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).. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. 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. 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. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. HARDY, Ark. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. 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. The doin hasnt been done yet. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? 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 lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. 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. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. Doh! 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. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't 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. Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." 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!! Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. And Lord have mercy, wait till you meet Birdie with her gamy birds-nest hairdo and top notch fine feathered companion Samuel.and all his buddies. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. The expression is incorrectly attributed on modern social media[citation needed] to an Indian agent, Benjamin Hawkins, in the late 18th century in a rumored letter not found in any archive to the U.S. President. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. Get help and learn more about the design. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". 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 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 The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. You gonna do nothing?". As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. the creek don't rise. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. 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.". In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. 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 . When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. What in tarnation? Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. Wow! He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. 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. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. Cookies and privacy DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. 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). World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. It mentions . "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." This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. We didnt. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. 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. Poor little doggy. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. This one may be self-explanatory, but we can imagine it originating back in the days of stagecoaches, when horse-and-buggy pairs filled the streets. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. If The Creek Don't Rise. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". John Wayne. 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. 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. "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. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. Copyright 2023 KAIT. A Quite certainly not. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). 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. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. 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. 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. and the word HOPE. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? 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. purchase. Positive thinking, Southern style. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). Learn how your comment data is processed. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. This article about the English language is a stub. A different style for the story telling in this as we hear from many of the people in this town and Sadie Blues own story is woven through the fabric of theirs. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. A multipurpose Southernism. And that is the highest praise from me. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. [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. 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. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. 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. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. Well, hells bells. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Learn how your comment data is processed. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. Share. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. 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! You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. Required fields are marked *. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek.
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