I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. 25 Southern Grandparents' Sayings That Deserve a Comeback, Forgotten Etiquette Every Child Should Learn, Kimberly Schlapman and Her Family's Tea Cakes, Lauren Alaina Talks 'American Idol', Southern Manners, and Her Grandmother's Famous Recipe, 30 Quotes That Remind Us Why Southern Manners Are So Important. 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. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. I will be at church on Sunday. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. I will continue to look for references to this phrase origin and would welcome discussion to prove (one way or the other) what the original author intended to mean. (LogOut/ Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. 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. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. 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. Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. 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. 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. She's not looking for sweets; she wants a hug and a kiss. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Learn how your comment data is processed. Unarguable Southern criticism. Historically, Southerners in the Appalachian mountains pronounced eternal as tarnal. That pronunciation suggests a clever word-smoosh between tarnal and damnation, so the savvy Appalachians could euphemistically express their anger without wasting an extra breath. Its not a recent change. 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.". Whatscatawampus? Wheres my blasted phone?. 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. If you're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. 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. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. The English language is forever changing. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. Does a bear shit in the woods? Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Doh! I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. Is this derivation correct? Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. 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. It can be summarised as if all goes well. 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. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. "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 Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Hardy citizens awoken by first responders urging evacuation, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: EPC boys fall to Marshall in Quarterfinals, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys fall to Bigelow in Quarterfinals, Arkansas State womens basketball falls to Southern Miss in SBC Quarterfinals, Arkansas women's basketball falls to #1 South Carolina in SEC Tournament, Fast Break Friday Night (3/3/23): Jonesboro boys advance to 6A state semifinals. Can't Never Could. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. Thats exactly who I was hoping would reply to my question. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. 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. 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? 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). 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! What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? [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. Poor little doggy. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. 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. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. A true Southern tradition. 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. 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. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. Well, I found it. 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. 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. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The expression ". Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. The doin hasnt been done yet. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. Share. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. Baines Creek is a small remote mountain settlement in North Carolina where many can't read, education is unheard of and catastrophic poverty is the norm. When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. A multipurpose Southernism. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." A true Southern tradition. 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. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. He was a politician and Indian agent. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. 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. And that is the highest praise from me. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". Funny Phrases ben stanczyk 10/25/01 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. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. 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. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. In the Deep South? 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. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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. (LogOut/ 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. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. False folk etymology. Older than Methuselah. There is no typical Southern accent. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. "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]. An odd few (6% of Americans) do use soft drink, according to the Pop vs. Change). You might say cocola. 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. Pot callin the kettle black. 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. 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.. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. 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. Youll thank us later! 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. All rights reserved. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. and the word HOPE. 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. Stop right there! Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. Learn how your comment data is processed. For instance, I might promise to show up for Christmas at Grandmas if the good Lords willing and the creek dont rise. 24 of 30. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). 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. "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." Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. Sign up for writing inspiration in your email, , Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!, The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). terry malia karmazin, cohnreznick internship salary, lely resort players club membership cost,
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