If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads Fans of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will love this intimate insight into a fiercely proud, tenacious community and relish the voices of the forgotten folks of Baines Creek. 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. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. 24 of 30. 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. Its not a recent change. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. But I know of just four instances from that century. 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. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. The English language is forever changing. "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. It was bad as all get out. purchase. The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. (LogOut/ Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. We didnt. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. This is our creative way of saying that you shouldn't crow like a rooster about your wealth and belonging today, because it could all disappear tomorrow. 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. 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. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. The doin hasnt been done yet. Any of you word experts have solid information? Required fields are marked *. The creek don't rise - Wikipedia Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. A true Southern tradition. A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. I'm a sucker for the well turned phrase and I was highlighting sentences here, one after another. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. 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. I was reading a post on one of the West Virginia pages that I follow in which a person referenced God willing and the creeks dont rise. in reference to rain and floods. 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. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Given that many small farm streams were crossed without bridges, which worked find most of the time, a swollen stream would cause problems. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. 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. 'Cause everything's fine, God, I wish it were . When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. But if the supposed letter was ever written, it doesnt now exist in any archive that any researcher has so far found (his letters have been published, if anybody would like to check). Weiss has a unique voice. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Lord Willing and the creek don't rise - English for Students If you find only minnows, though, they look even smaller compared to the heavy catch you hoped for. Be it Gods will, or, we go to war, my plans will go according to one of those two choices. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. 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. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). HARDY, Ark. By extension, maybe the Southern US expression was the way for an affronted or shocked listener to say none of that crazy untoward talk or behavior shall have power over me.. Is this derivation correct? Stop right there! (LogOut/ Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. It was set in the Ozark mountains featuring what some people called a witch. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. A search for the word rise does not produce this phrase, so it appears that the body of water theory was correct after all. 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. Farmers know that if you do something 'til the cows come home, it's going to take all day. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. He was a politician and Indian agent. But did he really say the words quoted or was a phrase morphed to include him as the author? 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. Youll thank us later! 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. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Well, whether its Creek or creek, it would still have much of the same effectyou wont be going where you thought you would or could. 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. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. A Quite certainly not. Doh! I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. If you hear this one, you should probably pause a moment. In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. Translated, it means, "He sure does think a lot of himself." Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. I will be at church on Sunday. The 1800s and 1900s were much simpler times, as people didn't have the luxuries afforded in modern times. "Creek" originated as a reference to creeks flooding and preventing travel, but is sometimes re-interpreted as a reference to the Creek tribe. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. and the word HOPE. 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. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. If you hear this one, it's best to slow down. These skies can darken at a moment's notice, and summer afternoons often see winds churning and heavy rain clouds blowing in to cool that Southern summer heat. The Creek so-called civil war of 1812 involving the Red Stick faction, and their combat North and South, appears to have been an impetus for that forts creation. An exclamationof surprise, anger, happiness, really any emotionthat is appropriate in nearly every Southern scenario. 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. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love 4.5 stars! He would tell the audience that we would meet again, "If the good Lord's willin', and the creek don't rise". It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like " Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise.". If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. What Grandma says when you pull in the driveway, pop out of the car, and come running. So, if during the time of Benjamin Hawkins life, the Creek Indians were experiencing the longest period of peace, why would he fear that they would rise. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. She captures the whole Appalachian scene - the vocabulary, the falling down houses, the likker, the poverty. When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . Wheres my blasted phone?. And that is the highest praise from me. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. The resulting warfare and predictable civilian losses in the South reportedly gave rise (using the Southern frontier penchant for willin as opposed to the educated willing) to the phrase which was then likely mistakenly attributed to Hawkins due to his Native American connections. "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. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes Showing 1-14 of 14 "Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Your first citation is much stronger than your second. Mentioning Benjamin Hawkins is a masterstroke, since he was the General Superintendent for Indian Affairs between 1796 and 1818 and was principal Indian agent to the Creek nation; he became so close to its people that he learned their language, was adopted by them and married a Creek woman. Cookies and privacy It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. Dylan LeBlanc - If The Creek Don't Rise Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. If you answered soda, you probably hail from either coast or some patches around St. Louis or Milwaukee.Pop lovers congregate mostly in the Midwest and western states. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. Historically, Southerners in the Appalachian mountains pronounced eternal as tarnal. That pronunciation suggests a clever word-smoosh between tarnal and damnation, so the savvy Appalachians could euphemistically express their anger without wasting an extra breath. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. And I mean took me there! If youre not using this phrase what are you waiting for? If you've just had a big Southern lunch, complete with cornbread, collard greens, and pecan pie, you're definitely full as a tick.