if the creek don't rise saying
"If the creek don't rise" is a slang phrase predominantly used in the Southeastern United States and can translate to "if all goes well." It's a more conditional action statement than the famous phrase "come hell or high water." The English language is forever changing. Anytime it rains as hard as it did last night, it always brings back fears of having to face something like we did in 1984, he said. Where did this contraction, popular in both African American English and Southern American English, come from? If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. 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. Its not a recent change. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? 4.5 stars! Weiss has a unique voice. 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. It can be summarised as if all goes well. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Over yonder past the cotton field. A true Southern tradition. Lyndon Johnsons wife Lady Bird was fond of the phrase, and she wasnt one to cast aspersions on native Americans. Learn how your comment data is processed. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. 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. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. 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). 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. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. (Or maybe the Piggly Wiggly, a Southern market chain that originated in Memphis, Tennessee). 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. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. Actually this is not proven. This was an extremely enjoyable read! 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. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. 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. "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 Learn how your comment data is processed. I am feeling culture shock from reading this book. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. Wow! When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. 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. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Any of you word experts have solid information? 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. There's two or three creeks," he said. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. 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. Unarguable Southern criticism. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. A preacher who hires a very different kind of woman than is usually found in these parts. And yes, I have heard the music of this culture and watched the dancing. 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. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. 132 Copy quote. 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. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. 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. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. 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! If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. 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. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. [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. Youll thank us later! (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. Maya Rodale is a best-selling romance author. Over yonder down the road. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. 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. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. I will be at church on Sunday. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. "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. In a letter to the Commander in Chief, Hawkins stated that he would return to the nations capital, God willing and the Creek dont rise., 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 and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. 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. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. Can't Never Could. If the Creek Don't Rise. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? To understand Hawkins, I read a little further into his history. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. 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). Well, I found it. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? 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. 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. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." 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.
