"Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. 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. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. 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. 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. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. 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. It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". There's two or three creeks," he said. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. 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. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. I reckon she skipped town on account of her mama being madder than a wet hen. Alongside fixin to, this is a quintessential term to strike a match under your vocab and hear it holler Yeehaw!! 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. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". Required fields are marked *. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. 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. 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. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. "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." 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. 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 clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise | Native Heritage Project John Wayne. Positive thinking, Southern style. Often said as Lord willing and the creek dont rise, this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? Lord willing and the creek don't rise - Wiktionary "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]. Youd be in a real fix then. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. During the early days of the War of 1812, one party of Creek marched north and joined the Indians fighting in Ohio and Michigan, participating in the River Raisin Massacre. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? 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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. Over yonder toward the water tower. 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. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A Share. A true Southern tradition. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Is this derivation correct? An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. the creek don't rise. 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. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. 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. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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. 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 The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. 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. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". No Bigger Than a Minnow in a Fishing Pond, A Rooster One Day and A Feather Duster the Next, If You Know These Sayings, You Definitely Grew Up in the South, Only Real Southerners Know the Meaning of "Putting On the Dog", Things Only Southern Moms Say To Their Daughters, Things Only Southerners Say When It Snows. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. The English language is forever changing. Over yonder down the road. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. 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? Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. 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. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. 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. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. "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. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads Now, she admits to saying this to her children. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Creek don't rise - phrase meaning and origin - Phrasefinder If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. Sentences With "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" | Random 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. 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 by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. 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. Any of you word experts have solid information? If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US.
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