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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. I was surprised as all get out. Copyright 2023 KAIT. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Siever, known as Nolichucky Jack to his friends, was as brutal to the Cherokee and Creek as they were to him, but Siever knew to frame his attacks as responses to incursion or wrongs. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. 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. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. 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! Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Theres two or three creeks, he said. 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. 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. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. There is no typical Southern accent. Southerners adopted this phrase wholeheartedly from its early usages in 1700s England and Scotland (where it meant "common sense"). Affixes dictionary. If The Creek Don't Rise. It must surely be the creation of a fertile modern mind desiring to put the flesh of evidence on the dry bones of outright invention. You might say cocola. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. 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!. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. Turn around, and please dont drive through 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. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. 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 the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. 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. Does a bear shit in the woods? Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." 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. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. from The New York Times: And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 70 years old. 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. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. Look up Lord willing and the creek don't rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. If someone tells you that you've got gumption, you should thank them, and then walk a little taller, because you've received a lovely Southern compliment. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . And I mean took me there! This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! 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 yes, they roll their eyes, too. (LogOut/ If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. 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. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. 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. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. 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. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. (LogOut/ The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. 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! He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . A true Southern tradition. 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. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. 24 of 30. The Lafayette gazette(Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. 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. 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. It mentions . I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. Speaking ofI declare, this now old-fashioned phrase acts as flustered response to an insult or an unbelievable story about someone who sadly made it into the rumor mill. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. 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!! 4.5 stars! This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. 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. 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 is the origin of the phrase the good Lord willing and the creek dont rise? Although he admits when the rain starts to fall, it makes him a little nervous. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. (LogOut/ This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. Over yonder past the cotton field. 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? The states involved sent Hawkins,Andrew Pickens(South Carolina), Joseph Martin (Georgia) andLachlan McIntosh(Continental representative, Georgia) to negotiate a treaty to end the fighting. Youre still going to the grocery store. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. (Im terrible about reading usernames as I scan threads, and I completely missed who had contributed that comment.). If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". At the time Hawkins was Congressman, he joined other well known Southeastern American leaders in negotiating a major treaty with the Creek and Cherokee at the South Carolina city of Hopewell. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia, that has historically isolated one rural neighborhood or another temporarily inaccessible on several or many occasions. Have you ever seen a wet hen? And yes, they roll their eyes, too. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? Kicked in the gut and sucker punched with one of the best books I have ever read. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." 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. Any of you word experts have solid information? Learn how your comment data is processed. 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.". A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. A true Southern tradition. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. Over yonder down the road. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. 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. After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach."