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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. Well, I found it. 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. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. 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. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. This book reminds me of that. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Over yonder past the cotton field. This article about the English language is a stub. "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." Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. 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. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. Doh! Other words sites Unarguable Southern criticism. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. 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. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. If The Creek Don't Rise. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Change). She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. The underscore of that sentiment would be that he married his common-law wife on his deathbed and she was of the Creek Indians. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! QFrom Bob Scala: An item that has been floating around the internet claims that the expression God willing and the creek dont rise referred to the Creek Indians, not a body of water. "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" is a sort of backwoods phrase that has the same meaning, but is more folksy and less devoted. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? 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. Affixes dictionary. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. 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.. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." The expression ". 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. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. 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. 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. 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. is a common way to use this next Southern cussemism. It traces to the 1700s and is based on darnation, the mild form of damnation. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. 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. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. 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. He was a politician and Indian agent. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. It can be summarised as if all goes well. 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. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." 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. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. 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.". 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. 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. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. All rights reserved. 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). 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. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. "You've heard that old saying, 'I'll be there if the creek don't rise?' Well, they've all risen, and a lot of people are staying home because of that." 04 Mar 2023 03:30:05 If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Firsts, Mines, Asks. 132 Copy quote. 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 think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Youll thank us later! 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. If the Creek Don't Rise. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. 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. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. Over yonder toward the water tower. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. 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. 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. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Well, hells bells. I see some folks walk easy and carry peace on their shoulders, but I been chained to a iron life." Leah Weiss, If the Creek Don't Rise 3 likes Like 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. Any of you word experts have solid information? (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". Let me love you again, give me one more try. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. 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. [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. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. Positive thinking, Southern style. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Copyright 2023 KAIT. Older than Methuselah. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek 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). Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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). As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Is this derivation correct? 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. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. Poor little doggy. 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).. Youre still going to the grocery store. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. 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. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. 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. False folk etymology. There is no typical Southern accent. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? 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. We didnt. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Its not a recent change. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. At the time Hawkins was Congressman, he joined other well known Southeastern American leaders in negotiating a major treaty with the Creek and Cherokee at the South Carolina city of Hopewell.