if the creek don't rise saying

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. 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 would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). 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. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. from The New York Times: If there is a good state of the world in 2021 the Lord willing and the creek don't rise everyone and all Blue Dogs in office needs to recognize . It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. The dialect is obscure and living conditions primitive with a feel more like the 1870's than the 1970's..so backward..so uncivilized..the men so brutal and lawless, and for Sadie Blue, life seems grave. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. Learn how your comment data is processed. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. 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. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. 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! [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. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. 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. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. All rights reserved. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. 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. 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. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . A multipurpose Southernism. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. 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. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. 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. 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). Over yonder past the cotton field. 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. This is our creative way of saying that you shouldn't crow like a rooster about your wealth and belonging today, because it could all disappear tomorrow. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . 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. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. But I know of just four instances from that century. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. 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.. Have you ever seen a wet hen? The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Doh! 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. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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. Youll thank us later! Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. Youre still going to the grocery store. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." A Quite certainly not. "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." Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. 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. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. Over yonder down the road. 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. And I mean took me there! Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. In the Deep South? 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. 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. If The Creek Don't Rise. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. Positive thinking, Southern style. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. 132 Copy quote. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. Your email address will not be published. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. And this is one appearance in a newspaper: 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. 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. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. 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. Copyright 2023 KAIT. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Positive thinking, Southern style. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. (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.). DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. It was so enjoyable and fun reading and discussing the book with them. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. 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 think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. 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 sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. 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. Whatscatawampus? And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. 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. There's two or three creeks," he said. "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]. 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. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. Actually this is not proven. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." 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. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. I was surprised as all get out. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. 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. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" 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. 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. 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. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. You might say cocola. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. Cookies and privacy 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 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 distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. 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