It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. 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. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . If the Creek Don't Rise. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. 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. "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 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! Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. "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." But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. This book reminds me of that. 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. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. Youre still going to the grocery store. 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. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. 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. 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. (LogOut/ Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. 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. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." Quick, what do you call a soft drink? 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! We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. 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. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Required fields are marked *. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. 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. 1851. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. Back when I was in the fourth grade we had an English teacher who dumped a box of books out one day and told us to read them and do book reports. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. Actually this is not proven. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Ain't got no dog in that race. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. 24 of 30. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. Paperback, 305 pages. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Youd be in a real fix then. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. 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. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. 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. What in tarnation? Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. Have you ever seen a wet hen? "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." 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.. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 132 Copy quote. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Weiss has a unique voice. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. Another publication, Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Jurisdiction, Volumes 88-89, coins the phrase: if the Lord is willing and the creek dont fire, we will so do. 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). 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!! In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". 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. 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. 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. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. 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. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. 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. "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" was later covered by Johnny Cash during his tenure at Sun, and a few of the other tracks here ", If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "World Wide Words: God willing and the creek don't rise", "William Clark Green: 'Ringling Road' Album Review", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_the_Good_Lord%27s_Willing_and_the_Creek_Don%27t_Rise&oldid=1067282742, "If The Lord's Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise", song by, "If The Good Lord's Willing And The Creek Don't Rise", Lattie Moore, Jerry Reed 1961, "If The Good Lord's Willing", Ray Godfrey, arranged Jerry Reed, Tollie Records 1964, "(Be The Good Lord Willing) The Creek Don't Rise", Jivin' Gene, arranged Smith, Hall-Way Records 1964, "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise", with the lyric "God willin' an the creek don't rise, I'll be home again before this time next year." A Quite certainly not. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). 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!. He was a politician and Indian agent. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. 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. 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.". Doh! I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. 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). 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. 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. !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. Here is an article that casts rather a lot of doubt on your assertion: 'God willing and the creek don't rise' M Quinion_World Wide Words: Q From Bob Scala: An item that has been floating around the internet claims that the expression 'God willing and the creek don't rise' referred to the Creek Indians, not a body of water. 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. 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. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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 Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. (Recall, also, that the Creek who did go to war against the whites were a smaller group within the Creek nation and that the larger group remained neutral or actively assisted the whites in the warat which point they were betrayed by having the U.S. sieze all their land.). The Creek so-called civil war of 1812 involving the Red Stick faction, and their combat North and South, appears to have been an impetus for that forts creation. This article about the English language is a stub. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. HARDY, Ark. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. Stop right there! 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. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. And I mean took me there! Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. 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. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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).. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Does a bear shit in the woods? A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. The doin hasnt been done yet. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. 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. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. 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!. 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. Other words sites Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Its not a recent change. 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. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. "Like all great southern. 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. January 2021: Hat tip to Maria whonotes that the collection of Benjamin Hawkinss letters has now been digitized and can be read at this link. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. Is this derivation correct? As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Your email address will not be published. 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. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. 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. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. (LogOut/ Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. I was surprised as all get out. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. 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. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. I was reading a post on one of the West Virginia pages that I follow in which a person referenced God willing and the creeks dont rise. in reference to rain and floods. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. "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. The saying has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson among others, on the usual principle that attaching a famous name to a story validates it. Pot callin the kettle black. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". 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. It's raining cats and dogs. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. "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. 1851. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. 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. 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 catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. 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. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. 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. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! A true Southern tradition. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. Any of you word experts have solid information? 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. 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). 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. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant.

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