Baines Creek, high up in the Appalachian mountain, a poor place filled with impoverished people, a place where moonshine is king. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. As I was in a museum, I felt confident in repeating the knowledge to others as fact. 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. If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. This book reminds me of that. 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. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. I will be at church on Sunday. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. Then theres a long gap in the record before it began to appear again in the 1950s. 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. and the word HOPE. Your email address will not be published. by Leah Weiss. You'll also find a longer version of my official bio: It's bold, powerful, dark and hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him. He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". Its a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. However, this is clearly one of those evolving language cases. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. 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. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. Over yonder down the road. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. Unarguable Southern criticism. And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. 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. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. Therefore if the Lord is willing and the Creek don't rise up and start up another uprising or battle, we will be able complete what ever it is we intend to do. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? 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. 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. 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. The saying has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson among others, on the usual principle that attaching a famous name to a story validates it. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days.. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. Wow! From another source Some historians attribute Benjamin Hawkins as having been the first person to ever say these words and he did so in a letter to the President of the United States. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. (LogOut/ "Like all great southern. "Druthers" roughly translates to "I would rather," meaning, "If had things my way" The phrase is celebrated in song in the hilarious, Southern-inspired Broadway musical Li'l Abner, in which the title character sings "If I had my druthers, I'd druther have my druthers than anything else I know." Variants substitute "God" or "Good Lord" (with or without "the") for "Lord", and substitute "crick" or "river" for "creek", or capitalize it as "Creek" or "Creeks" based on confusion with the Creek Indian tribe. Can't Never Could. "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. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. A very young, newly married pregnant woman, she vows her no good moonshining husband has beaten her for the last time. 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 You might say cocola. 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. This was an extremely enjoyable read! 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. Dont worry, if youre helping a friend make groceries, youre not expected to create food from scratch. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." Copyright 2023 KAIT. The thing isI read one that I have never stopped thinking about. As they returned home, some of them also killed some settlers in the Ohio valley. A true Southern tradition. If the Creek Don't Rise is a collection of hard-used characters, tangled relationships, family angst, and fortitude. 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. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Weiss has a unique voice. It's raining cats and dogs. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Required fields are marked *. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. 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. Over yonder past the cotton field. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. 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. 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 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.. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. Or, depending on where you live, it could be Sewanee, the small college town in Tennessee. No bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond is as tiny as can be. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. A true Southern tradition. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . Any of you word experts have solid information? If the Creek Don't Rise. Johnny Cash had a hit with the song If The Good Lords Willing, and Hank Williams Jr. titled his song If the Good Lords Willin (And The Creeks Dont Rise).. This Southern saying, God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Its not a recent change. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. 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. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? A Quite certainly not. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. Eventually, you became a singular pronoun, and we lost the plural pronouns. 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. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday?

Vanderbilt Staff Directory, Pluto In 1st House Celebrities, Most Wanted Surry County, Nc, Above Ground Beaded Pool Liner Replacement, Deana Martin Siblings, Articles I