This was an extremely enjoyable read! 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 False folk etymology. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Not one shred of evidence is a clear invitation to fault the writer. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. Whatscatawampus? Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. This book reminds me of that. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? There is no typical Southern accent. Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. 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. 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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. Well, that might just push you over the edge, and as you lean back youre bound to say, Im as full as a tick. Itd be plumb crazy not to express yourself (and your full belly) with this fun, old Southern idiom. Your email address will not be published. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Cookies and privacy In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. It's often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. 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. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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. Here are a couple of examples of this claim. "Like all great southern. 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. (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.). What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. Here is an article that casts rather a lot of doubt on your assertion: 'God willing and the creek don't rise' M Quinion_World Wide Words: Q From Bob Scala: An item that has been floating around the internet claims that the expression 'God willing and the creek don't rise' referred to the Creek Indians, not a body of water. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. 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. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. The first big battles in the Creek War were, indeed, attacks on white settlements, but it was not a matter of an uprising that threatened settlers, rather it was an outbreak of war between two armed groups in which whites and Indians sought each other out. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. It's a vivid phrase, and it's an accurate one too. If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator), Kate Forbes (Narrator). What is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? 132 Copy quote. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. From the present day of the story in 1970 to flashbacks of the past and dreams, these various points of view give us a vivid picture of this place and the people who live there. 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. 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. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. Have you ever seen a wet hen? Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. In his reply, he was said to have written, God willing and the Creek dont rise. 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.". in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. 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). Select your currency from the list and click Donate. "If the Creek Don't Rise" We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. Youre still going to the grocery store. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. (LogOut/ A true Southern tradition. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. 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. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. "If God so wills, and as long as intense rain does not wash away bridges or parts of dirt roads, or cover roads too deeply for safely following them." According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Wow! Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. At the same time there is some evidence that the creation of Fort Deposit (Fort Deposite) in Georgia was a cause of concern in that munitions and arms were stockpiled. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. You might say cocola. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Is this derivation correct? We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . 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. DeSantis ends Disney's free reign over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. 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. 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. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. 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. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. Any of you word experts have solid information? (LogOut/ A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. "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." 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. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. 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!. This phrase enjoyed national exposure in 1988 after Texas Governor Ann Richards remarked: When we pay billions for planes that wont fly, billions for tanks that wont fire, and billions for systems that wont workthat old dog wont hunt..
