"Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. 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. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 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. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. If the Creek Don't Rise|Paperback - Barnes & Noble If The Creek Don't Rise The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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). Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. 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. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . If The Creek Don't Rise. 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. 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. Is this derivation correct? Your first citation is much stronger than your second. (LogOut/ So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Other words sites Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Copyright 2023 KAIT. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Sentences With "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" | Random Faire can mean both do and make. This phrase entered the Southern vernacular via Louisiana and is in regular use in the New Orleans area. "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. 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. 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. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. Share. A true Southern tradition. 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. Well, hells bells. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise | Native Heritage Project The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. It was bad as all get out. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 15 Odd Southern Sayings Their Origins - Bourbon and Boots in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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 can be summarised as "if all goes well". As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". 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! Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. 132 Copy quote. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. "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]. Your email address will not be published. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? 50 of the Best Southern Sayings | Serving Up Southern It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. 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. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. 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. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. The English language is forever changing. 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. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? I will be at church on Sunday. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel - Leah Weiss - Google Books 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. If the Creek Don't Rise. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? HARDY, Ark. 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. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." 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 All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. This article about the English language is a stub. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss | Goodreads Positive thinking, Southern style. A Quite certainly not. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? 15. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR Dylan LeBlanc - If The Creek Don't Rise Lyrics | Genius Lyrics It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. the creek don't rise. If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Wikipedia We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. 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. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. 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. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. The story of Benjamin Hawkins relationship with the Creek,Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians goes back to 1786, when America was working on solidifying its hold on the new nation. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. Over yonder down the road. 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.". A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Poor little doggy. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. 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. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students 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. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Statements of the form "God/Lord willing and (some other condition being met)" are ancient extensions of simple acceptance of God's will in phrases like God willing and Lord willing. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. Change). 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. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. Any of you word experts have solid information? This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. And that is the highest praise from me. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. Let me love you again, give me one more try. 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. 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. 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). When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't 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. 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. Its not a recent change. 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). 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. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). Paperback, 305 pages. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). 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. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. 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. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. 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. All the ones I know from growin up : r/ShitSouthernersSay 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. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. I doubt it will ever be possible to prove the source of some of these old sayings,but they sure are alot of funThis post set me a thinkin bout some things we grew up saying that we took from our eldersfor example when one is astonished you say Oh my Stars! Or when you havent seen someone in awhile you say I aint seen Hide nor Hair of em since..and there was plenty of times I was toldquit rootin around an causin such a ruckass!usually refering to me being in Granmas gardenand one can never forget the simpleSkeedaddle! Now the devil may knowWhere those sayings come from. 1851. 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. Doh! Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. The expression ". I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. [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. 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. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. All rights reserved. False folk etymology. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? 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 you've ever been caught in a summer storm, you know that you can feel, smell, and see a storm blowin' up across the wide Southern skies. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? 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. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. 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. 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.. "Like all great southern. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. When you arrive on the banks of the fishing pond on Saturday mornings, you're hoping for a good catchenough big catfish and bream to fry up for the family on Saturday night. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. Ain't got no dog in that race. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. 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. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. The doin hasnt been done yet. 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. Actually this is not proven. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. This 19th-century phrase was once used to refer to some fierce, imaginary beast, until we went off course and adopted the current meaning of "awry.".