Learn how your comment data is processed. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." 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? If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. 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. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. 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. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . When the U.S. demanded that the murderers be handed over for punishment, the Creek executed them themselves (for the Ohio murders, not for the River Raisin battle and aftermath). Donate via PayPal. It's raining cats and dogs. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. 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. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. Some say it originated with the Scottish-Irish term ye aw. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). "All get out" finds its way into Southern phrases constantly, and it intensifies any statement. Ain't got no dog in that race. (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.). 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. Actually this is not proven. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. 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. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. 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. 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. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. 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 youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? Cookies and privacy The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. 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. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Doh! 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. 4.5 stars! 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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. 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. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. 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! 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. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? For instance if someone invites you to church on Sunday, you would respond "I'll be there with bells on God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise.". He was a politician and Indian agent. 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. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. The doin hasnt been done yet. Positive thinking, Southern style. 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. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. That means whatever you're talking about is worth less than very little. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. 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 search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . 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. 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. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. Take a load off the ole dogs, sit on your front porch, and let your know neighbors know about that sugar honey iced teayou had to deal with today. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. 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.". Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. Youd be in a real fix then. Pot callin the kettle black. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. 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. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. Poor little doggy. This United Statesrelated article is a stub. "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. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. 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. 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. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in return for an unbiased review. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? Let me love you again, give me one more try. I always took it as a reference to the level of water in a creek. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. False folk etymology. "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. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. 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. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. A true Southern tradition. Whatscatawampus? Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. 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. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . Well, hells bells. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. (LogOut/ It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. The resulting warfare and predictable civilian losses in the South reportedly gave rise (using the Southern frontier penchant for willin as opposed to the educated willing) to the phrase which was then likely mistakenly attributed to Hawkins due to his Native American connections. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. 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. 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. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Your email address will not be published. The story of Benjamin Hawkins relationship with the Creek,Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians goes back to 1786, when America was working on solidifying its hold on the new nation. 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. 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. Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. There is no typical Southern accent. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. 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. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. I will be at church on Sunday. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Does a bear shit in the woods? You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. 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. 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. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. Positive thinking, Southern style. It can be summarised as "if all goes well". 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. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. The History And Traditions That Make Hanukkah Light Up, Examples Of Ableist Language You May Not Realize Youre Using, Winter 2023 New Words: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Fall In Love With 14 Captivating Valentines Day Words, Rizz And 7 Other Slang Trends That Explain The Internet In 2023, Win With Qi And This List Of Our Best Scrabble Words, We Had ChatGPT Coin Nonsense PhrasesAnd Then We Defined Them, Surprise! If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. And that is the highest praise from me. Well, I found it. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. 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.

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