The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. "Like all great southern. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. And that is the highest praise from me. 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. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. Over yonder past the cotton field. 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. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. 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). 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! "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. 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. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. 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. 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. "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 Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. 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. 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).. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". You gonna let him break your spirit, too? No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. 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.". 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). [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. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. 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. 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. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. 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). Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. 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. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. And I mean took me there! If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. 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!. Older than Methuselah. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. 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. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Over yonder down the road. Weiss has a unique voice. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. 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. Well, hells bells. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". I will be at church on Sunday. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. 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. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. 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! Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. 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. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. 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. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. "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 you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. 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? But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. "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." A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Required fields are marked *. Let me love you again, give me one more try. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. Can't Never Could. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. It's raining cats and dogs. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Share. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Any of you word experts have solid information? Get help and learn more about the design. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. 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. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ain't got no dog in that race. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. 1851. Learn how your comment data is processed. Copyright 2023 KAIT. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? This article about the English language is a stub. "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. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Over yonder toward the water tower. 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. Youd be in a real fix then. 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. 15. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. 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. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. This book reminds me of that. 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. 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. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." The doin hasnt been done yet. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. 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. 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. 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. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. 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. 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. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. "If The Good Lord's Willing and The Creek Don't Rise" is a 1955 American country song by Jerry Reed which was particularly popularized by the 1958 recording of Johnny Cash and has been covered by multiple artists.[1]. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" John Wayne. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. 4.5 stars! 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. Your email address will not be published. Does a bear shit in the woods? There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. 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. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. 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. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. and the word HOPE. It can be summarised as if all goes well. Your email address will not be published. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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. (LogOut/ You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. There is no typical Southern accent. Whatscatawampus? If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. 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. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. 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 I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. You gonna do nothing?". But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. 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. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. A Quite certainly not. Well, I found it. Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. Donate via PayPal. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. It was bad as all get out. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. He was a politician and Indian agent. 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. Fans of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will love this intimate insight into a fiercely proud, tenacious community and relish the voices of the forgotten folks of Baines Creek. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Affixes dictionary. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Unarguable Southern criticism. 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. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. Positive thinking, Southern style. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Youre still going to the grocery store. 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. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. 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. But I know of just four instances from that century. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? I was surprised as all get out. 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. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. 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. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." And yes, they roll their eyes, too. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. 1851. It is 1970, and we follow the story of a young Appalachian girl, Sadie Blue age 17, pregnant and newly married to an evil young man who is abusive.