Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. Unarguable Southern criticism. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. 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!. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. 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. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. HARDY, Ark. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. Those who live on Valley Drive along the Spring River in Hardy awoke around 3 Friday morning to first responders urging them to leave their homes due to rising water. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. 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. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? 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.. 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. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. The expression ". 1851. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. "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." The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God 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]. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. I will be at church on Sunday. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. 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. 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. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Change). 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. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. 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. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. 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. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." 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. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? Well, I found it. But I know of just four instances from that century. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. John Wayne. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. 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. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. "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]. 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. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. 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. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. 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. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. "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." Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. If The Creek Don't Rise. Copyright 2023 KAIT. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Affixes dictionary. 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. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Older than Methuselah. 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. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. 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. Get help and learn more about the design. Can't Never Could. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. 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. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Required fields are marked *. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. Positive thinking, Southern style. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. Learn how your comment data is processed. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. (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.). Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. I was surprised as all get out. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. 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. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. 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. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. 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. 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. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. 24 of 30. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. 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.
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