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. It mentions Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was asked by the US president to go back to Washington. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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! Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didnt want it to end! It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. Theres two or three creeks, he said. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. 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. 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. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Cant never could is a reminder that if you dont even try, you wont ever accomplish your goal. 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. from The New York Times: If there is a good state of the world in 2021 the Lord willing and the creek don't rise everyone and all Blue Dogs in office needs to recognize . A true Southern tradition. Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. Other words sites 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.. Someone kicked in with we say cricks. 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. If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. Someone once said that when you visit the South, you need a translator. Ireckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. Over yonder toward the water tower. 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! Unarguable Southern criticism. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. And Lord have mercy, wait till you meet Birdie with her gamy birds-nest hairdo and top notch fine feathered companion Samuel.and all his buddies. 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. 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. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. Weiss has spun me upside down in this backward county in the Appalachian mountains and made a southerner out of me. Catawampus(or, cattywampus) may have been popularized by Brits who delighted in parodying Southern vernacular. When a fellers fixin to do something, theyre about to do it. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . 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. It is a quintessential Southern phrase, said by friends and family on porches and in rocking chairs all across the South. My officers and fire department, we went along the river houses and notified everybody and recommended evacuation, said Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. Though youre likely to hear Southernisms such as. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. 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. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. God willing and the creek don't rise If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. If you've ever been caught in a summer storm, you know that you can feel, smell, and see a storm blowin' up across the wide Southern skies. Lately, though, I have learned to wince quickly and let it go. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. 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. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. The grit and darkness don't just belong to Sadie, though. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. If someone tells you that you've got gumption, you should thank them, and then walk a little taller, because you've received a lovely Southern compliment. Quick, what do you call a soft drink? Pot callin the kettle black. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE is character driven and one fine gritty and entertaining debut with one fine satisfying ending! This United Statesrelated article is a stub. 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. 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. On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. When you're fixin' to do something, it's going to happen, but you also may decide to take your sweet time. That argues for a more mundane origin: the old-time difficulties of travelling on dirt roads that forded rivers and streams; a sudden storm could cause water levels to rise without warning and render the route impassable. 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. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word "way," as in "way over yonder.". "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" is a sort of backwoods phrase that has the same meaning, but is more folksy and less devoted. I reckon she skipped town on account of her mama being madder than a wet hen. Alongside fixin to, this is a quintessential term to strike a match under your vocab and hear it holler Yeehaw!! Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. HARDY, Ark. Any of you word experts have solid information? Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not "rise" at all. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Neither provides any documentation: http://pub122.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm2.showMessage?topicID=191.topic, http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#LordWillingAndTheCreek. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. Wheres my blasted phone?. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. In fact, Georgia and South Carolina produce more peaches than any other states in the South. Southerners tell it like it isno matter what it isso think of this as a learning moment. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys. It can be summarised as if all goes well. Yet here I stand before you a speckled hermit, wrapt in the risen-sun counterpane of my popilarity, an intendin, Providence permittin, and the creek dont rise, to go it blind!. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. 1851. 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. Im told it was a sign-off tag line of the 1930s US radio broadcaster Bradley Kincaid. In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. All rights reserved. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. 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. There is a lot of controversy about this fairly common folk saying. Well, hells bells. 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. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. Back when I was in the fourth grade we had an English teacher who dumped a box of books out one day and told us to read them and do book reports. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. Devil's beating his wife (when it would be sunny and raining). Nor is grammar an argument in favor the the subject being plural. I was surprised as all get out. (KAIT) - Its been a busy 24 hours for first responders in Sharp County. This one originates from the 19th century, when Carter Products marketed "Little Liver Pills" across the country. There is no typical Southern accent. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. But, in the South, if your boss says that dog wont hunt in a meeting, it probably means your suggestion or idea needs improvement. Change). While there, we happened upon a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad. Can't Never Could. https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don%27t_rise&oldid=70955250. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. Over yonder past the cotton field. Wow! "If God so wills, and as long as intense rain does not wash away bridges or parts of dirt roads, or cover roads too deeply for safely following them." (LogOut/ We didnt. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. 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. There's two or three creeks," he said. The word you use for a fizzy, carbonated drink reveals a lot more about you than you know.