Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. "We plan to be there," we might say, and then add on a quick, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise." It's another way of saying, "I am dead serious about keeping my word on this, short of a hurricane or earthquake." In other words, I'm doggedly committed to this unless the devil stops me. There's two or three creeks," he said. 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. 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). Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. 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.". Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Get help and learn more about the design. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 15. 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. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. 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. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. If you've read the book summary, you already know Sadie Blue lives with a devil of a man, but she's not the only one who has lived with a wife beater of a husband. 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. and the word HOPE. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Unarguable Southern criticism. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. 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). It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. The expression ". Share. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. 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'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." And yes, they roll their eyes, too. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. 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. "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 Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. If The Creek Don't Rise. Theres nothing more Southern than a lively Hey, yall! And dont you dare think of spelling it yallSouthern Living has decreed this contraction of you all is spelled one way, and one way only. "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. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Whatscatawampus? Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Because this is a progressive verb (youll make progress with it for sure), remember You were fixin to patch the hole in the wall. Never say you fixed to do it! 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. He wrote it in response to a request from the President to return to our Nations Capital and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. 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. Wheres my blasted phone?. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. 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. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. 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.. 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. 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 . Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. 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. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. 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. 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. It's raining cats and dogs. 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. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. 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. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. Since we'd never dare hang up the phone while Mama's chatting away, this may be the only way to end your conversation in a timely manner. Paperback, 305 pages. The doin hasnt been done yet. A true Southern tradition. 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 true Southern tradition. A multipurpose Southernism. 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. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." If the Creek Don't 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. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. The Cree and the Creek lived over a thousand miles apart, (the Cree are from Canada), so we now have people contributing folk etymologies that are nonsense on their face. 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. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. 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 If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. "Druthers" roughly translates to "I would rather," meaning, "If had things my way" The phrase is celebrated in song in the hilarious, Southern-inspired Broadway musical Li'l Abner, in which the title character sings "If I had my druthers, I'd druther have my druthers than anything else I know." Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. Its especially difficult for people that live south of River Road and some of them that live in Woodland Hills. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Stop right there! [2] In the Reed song and Cash cover the verses vary the rhyme, so the opening line commences: If the good Lord's willing and the creek stays down I'll be in your arms time the moon come around. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." 133 Copy quote. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. In the Deep South? by Leah Weiss. Youre still going to the grocery store. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. I was surprised as all get out. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. And I mean took me there! Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. 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. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Older than Methuselah. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). It mentions . 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. Donate via PayPal. 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. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. 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! They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. 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. 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. "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" was later covered by Johnny Cash during his tenure at Sun, and a few of the other tracks here ", If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "World Wide Words: God willing and the creek don't rise", "William Clark Green: 'Ringling Road' Album Review", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_the_Good_Lord%27s_Willing_and_the_Creek_Don%27t_Rise&oldid=1067282742, "If The Lord's Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise", song by, "If The Good Lord's Willing And The Creek Don't Rise", Lattie Moore, Jerry Reed 1961, "If The Good Lord's Willing", Ray Godfrey, arranged Jerry Reed, Tollie Records 1964, "(Be The Good Lord Willing) The Creek Don't Rise", Jivin' Gene, arranged Smith, Hall-Way Records 1964, "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise", with the lyric "God willin' an the creek don't rise, I'll be home again before this time next year." The researchers went on to cite two different publications in the 1800s in which the authors did not capitalize the word creek, leading one to believe they did not mean the people proper. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. 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. Copyright 2023 KAIT. If The Creek Don't Rise is a unique novel whose structure feels light and breezy and veers drastically from the standard formula found in fiction. But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise". There is no typical Southern accent. 4.5 stars! Someone kicked in with we say cricks. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. This article about the English language is a stub. Actually this is not proven. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Anything to the degree of "all get out" is something to talk about. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Variants substitute "God" or "Good Lord" (with or without "the") for "Lord", and substitute "crick" or "river" for "creek", or capitalize it as "Creek" or "Creeks" based on confusion with the Creek Indian tribe. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. 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. 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. 1851. (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.). And that is the highest praise from me. 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.
Steven T Huff House,
Highsmith Funeral Home Obituaries,
A Typical Crash Related To Sleepiness,
Hodge Road Shooting Area 2020,
Articles I