Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. Pot callin the kettle black. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. Wow! All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htmLast modified: 25 February 2012. The Creek were a tribe of Native Americans (indians) who would ambush people who were traveling West. Its a one-size-fits-all reply that can both express sympathy and insult someone, depending on the delivery. !, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means to count, calculate.. The saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Came from those traveling west in the OLD DAYS. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. I ate that up with a spoon and did my best to read them all. I reckon "I reckon" can replace any number of phrases, such as: I guess, I suppose, I think, and I imagine. You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. 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. Synonyms [ edit] (barring unforeseen circumstances): God willing, Lord willing Translations [ edit] show phrase References [ edit] The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. Doh! "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. 'If The Creek Don't Rise' Traces Webs Of Hurt And Help : NPR A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. Donate via PayPal. Southern Slang: If The Creek Don't Rise | What does it mean? | Ask A The most interesting often hail from our older generations, such as the WWII era and those raised by them. It's true, we do have a mouthful of sayings that only Southerners understand. Youd be in a real fix then. False folk etymology. Can't Never Could. The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. 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). Grahams American Monthly Magazine, Jun. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Chief Rose is asking drivers to be cautious while out and about. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, come March of next year, I'll be 225 years old. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. What Do Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, And Lent Mean? 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 creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. Don't worry, though, everyone hears this every now and again. Your email address will not be published. If the Creek Don't Rise Quotes by Leah Weiss - Goodreads Learn how your comment data is processed. "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. 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. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. The General replied to Stonewall Jackson that he would send troops "the Good Lord is willing and the Creeks don't rise (in rebellion). But I know of just four instances from that century. God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise - Southern Love This article about the English language is a stub. The History And Traditions That Make Hanukkah Light Up, Examples Of Ableist Language You May Not Realize Youre Using, Winter 2023 New Words: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Fall In Love With 14 Captivating Valentines Day Words, Rizz And 7 Other Slang Trends That Explain The Internet In 2023, Win With Qi And This List Of Our Best Scrabble Words, We Had ChatGPT Coin Nonsense PhrasesAnd Then We Defined Them, Surprise! Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . Oh, if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. 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. 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! Translated, this means: "We'll be there unless something out of our control stops us." This book reminds me of that. I absolutely loved the southern voice of these characters throughout this book. 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 lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. There's two or three creeks," he said. But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. If The Creek Don't Rise. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. The doin hasnt been done yet. "Come Hell or high water" vs "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. Because he capitalized Creek its asserted that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water. Used in a sentence - If the creek don't rise and God's willing, you should be able to see this video. This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 01:18. Affixes dictionary. This 19th-century phrase was once used to refer to some fierce, imaginary beast, until we went off course and adopted the current meaning of "awry.". There is no typical Southern accent. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. Is this derivation correct? Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. From the present day of the story in 1970 to flashbacks of the past and dreams, these various points of view give us a vivid picture of this place and the people who live there. And really, wouldn't we all druther have our druthers? Im a longtime admirer of your calm demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." "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. the creek don't rise. "He broke bout every piece of sweet in you. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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.". It can be summarised as "if all goes well". The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. 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. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. is a common way to use this next Southern cussemism. It traces to the 1700s and is based on darnation, the mild form of damnation. (I would not be surprised to discover that the last contributor on your first link is none other than our own samclem.). 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. Disney lost control of its Florida kingdom for opposing the "Don't Say I agree that the Indian origin sounds unlikely. "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." If The Creek Don't Rise They were both corrected by a good soul who told them that Creek, for the purposes of this phrases origin, meant Creek Indian. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. 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. Throughout the years, through these floods, weve had several roads that have washed completely out, so you just dont know whats down there.. 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. Turn around, and please dont drive through it. Positive thinking, Southern style. 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. We admit that we've heard this Southernism more than once. Signed in November, 1785, A Treaty With the Cherokee (the technical name of the Treaty of Hopewell) created the first rift between theCherokee Nationand the Chickamauga Cherokee that would not end until the Chickamauga went West following the Revolt of the Young Chiefs. God willing and the creek don't rise - TheFreeDictionary.com Have you ever seen a wet hen? 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. Unarguable Southern criticism. God willing and the creek don't rise - World Wide Words Hardy citizens awoken by first responders urging evacuation, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: EPC boys fall to Marshall in Quarterfinals, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys fall to Bigelow in Quarterfinals, Arkansas State womens basketball falls to Southern Miss in SBC Quarterfinals, Arkansas women's basketball falls to #1 South Carolina in SEC Tournament, Fast Break Friday Night (3/3/23): Jonesboro boys advance to 6A state semifinals. in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. Learn how your comment data is processed. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. "Like all great southern writers, Leah Weiss's magic turns the local into the universal." Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author, on All The Little Hopes. Some say farmers used to dunk their hens when they got broody. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Over yonder toward the water tower. If the Good Lord is Willing and the Creek don't rise (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. 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. If the Creek Don't Rise: Tales From the South Kindle Edition 132 Copy quote. Ain't got no dog in that race. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. It is 1970, and we follow the story of a young Appalachian girl, Sadie Blue age 17, pregnant and newly married to an evil young man who is abusive. 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. If the creek dont rise was a whimsical way of saying that the speaker would carry out some task provided that no figurative obstacle were put in his path. Werefixin to tell you more Southernisms, and now were doing just that. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. PS A belated congratulations on your appointment as moderator, Tom. 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.. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. If you refer to itno matter the brand or flavoras Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. 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! The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. 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. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. 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. A different style for the story telling in this as we hear from many of the people in this town and Sadie Blues own story is woven through the fabric of theirs. "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."