On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. Wheres my blasted phone?. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Actually this is not proven. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Stop right there! "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. 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. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. 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. 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's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. 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. It was bad as all get out. What in tarnation? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. 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. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. 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. Doh! Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] "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. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. He was a politician and Indian agent. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. False folk etymology. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. 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. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. 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. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. 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. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. 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. We like to read this as one of the greatest Southern encouragements, but, like most of these phrases, you can use it however you'd like. Get help and learn more about the design. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. [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. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. 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. 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). Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. 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. It can be summarised as if all goes well. 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. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. Does a bear shit in the woods? 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. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. 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. Pot callin the kettle black. The expression "the creek don't rise" is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. 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. 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 Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Required fields are marked *. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. It's raining cats and dogs. "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." After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. 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. Affixes dictionary. 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. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. Cookies and privacy Unarguable Southern criticism. You gonna do nothing?". Your email address will not be published. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. Learn how your comment data is processed. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Well, that might just push you over the edge, and as you lean back youre bound to say, Im as full as a tick. Itd be plumb crazy not to express yourself (and your full belly) with this fun, old Southern idiom. 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. In alternating first person narratives from a cast of characters that will be hard to forget, Leah Weiss took me to the mountain community called Baines Creek in the Appalachian Mountains in NC. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. Weiss has a unique voice. 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. We didnt. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Theres two or three creeks, he said. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. Have you ever seen a wet hen? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. And even if it did, the initial capital letter would mean nothing, as at the time it was still common practice to capitalise all nouns. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. By extension, maybe the Southern US expression was the way for an affronted or shocked listener to say none of that crazy untoward talk or behavior shall have power over me.. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. 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. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? 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. "Like all great southern. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. 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. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." 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. 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. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. Over yonder toward the water tower. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. "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]. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Is this derivation correct? If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. 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? It can also be the opening to striking a bargain, sharing a strongly held opinion, or offering a piece of advice you may or may not want to hear. Positive thinking, Southern style. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. (LogOut/ Your email address will not be published. Wow! It must surely be the creation of a fertile modern mind desiring to put the flesh of evidence on the dry bones of outright invention. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. (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.). A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. 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. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. 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. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. 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. The Cree and the Creek lived over a thousand miles apart, (the Cree are from Canada), so we now have people contributing folk etymologies that are nonsense on their face. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. 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.. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. 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. purchase. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. 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 Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." Other words sites Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. 1851. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. 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. Share. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. 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. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. A true Southern tradition. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . If The Creek Don't Rise. 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. Youd be in a real fix then. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. 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. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. 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. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. 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. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. 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. Unlike the United States Postal Service, whose motto proclaims "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" will keep them from their routes, sometimes a Southern visit is thwarted by a rising creek or other unexpected bump in the road. Youre still going to the grocery store. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). 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!. 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. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. (LogOut/ If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. 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!. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Historians and etymologists may cringe, but the modern usage of Lord willin and the creek (or crick) dont rise is about the stream, not the Creek tribe. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century.