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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. 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. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. This book reminds me of that. 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. 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. 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). If The Creek Don't Rise. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The doin hasnt been done yet. "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." I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . John Wayne. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Is this derivation correct? "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]. Paperback, 305 pages. 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. What in tarnation? 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. 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. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. 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. 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. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. A true Southern tradition. 1851. You gonna do nothing?". It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Learn how your comment data is processed. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Whatscatawampus? The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Older than Methuselah. Youre still going to the grocery store. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. "If God so wills, and as long as intense rain does not wash away bridges or parts of dirt roads, or cover roads too deeply for safely following them." 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. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. In other words, Ill make it to Grandmas if the indians dont go on the warpath. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). 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. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. 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).. World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). 24 of 30. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. Any of you word experts have solid information? It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. 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. I was surprised as all get out. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. 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. 4.5 stars! A Quite certainly not. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. But I know of just four instances from that century. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. by Leah Weiss. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. Donate via PayPal. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. 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? Its not a recent change. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. 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. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. Change). If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. 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A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Weiss has a unique voice. 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. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. 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. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. There is no typical Southern accent. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. All rights reserved. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." 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. 132 Copy quote. 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. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. 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. Cookies and privacy In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. 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). 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. 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. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. 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. 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.