Cows aren't known for their speed, and they are usually out and about, wandering until feeding time. Whatscatawampus? 24 of 30. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. 132 Copy quote. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. 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. If the Creek rose, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. writes one commentator.. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. 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 expression ". Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. Over yonder toward the water tower. Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. Thats a mouthful, but we lumped these all together because they are allsubstitutes for (God) d*mn it. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: Quite certainly not. Some newspaper clippings are harder to determine which meaning they meant. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. 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. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. Stop right there! In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. Have you ever seen a wet hen? After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? 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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. "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. 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. This was an extremely enjoyable read! Can't Never Could. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. 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. You gonna let him break your spirit, too? There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. The proper phrase is Lord willing and the Creek don't rise. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. 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. [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. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. Is this derivation correct? A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). 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. 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. Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. Following that treaty John Siever formed the state of Franklin from land previously claimed by North Carolina but never ceded by the Indian tribes. 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. 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. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. 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. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. Who better to write about the risks of the Creek rising in revolt? (LogOut/ Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. Your email address will not be published. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] 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. Positive thinking, Southern style. I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. Tensions between settlers and both tribes had been rising following the Treaty of Augusta and the land cessions of 1782-1783. It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100. 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. Like trying to meet a friend for lunch but having the car breakdown on the way. 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. Copyright 2023 KAIT. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. (LogOut/ When you arrive on the banks of the fishing pond on Saturday mornings, you're hoping for a good catchenough big catfish and bream to fry up for the family on Saturday night. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." 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. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. He was a politician and Indian agent. He wrote it in response to a request from the President to return to our Nations Capital and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. 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. The doin hasnt been done yet. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. the creek don't rise. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. 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. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. Youre still going to the grocery store. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. Charles Wilson said the flood waters are something he has to live with to enjoy residing on the river. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. Doh! I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another.
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