if the creek don't rise saying

The expression make groceries is a translation of the French faire son march (to do ones market shopping). 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. You might say cocola. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek Indian tribe rather than a body of water.[4][5]. Yes, I had heard of the Appalachians and how the culture spreads along those mountains over more than a dozen States. 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. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . After eating a big, delicious Southern dinner Granny just made, you have to finish up with a slice of sweet potato pie, right? 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. Paperback, 305 pages. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. Wow! In fact, virtually all the examples that Ive found in books and newspaper archives down to the present day are in lower-case. A young woman goes missing and has the town both fearful and wondering. 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). A handful of rivers and streams will be out of their banks by Friday evening and Saturday morning. The states involved sent Hawkins,Andrew Pickens(South Carolina), Joseph Martin (Georgia) andLachlan McIntosh(Continental representative, Georgia) to negotiate a treaty to end the fighting. Doh! 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 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. She's seventeen, pregnant and two weeks into her marriage to Roy Tupkin, after enduring brutal beatings, Sadie knows she has made a mistake. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." I see said the blind man to his deaf wife. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*tmight just tame the anger a bit. The written record dates the saying from about the middle of the nineteenth century. The earliest example known is this mock rustic speech: Feller-citizens Im not customed to public speakin before sich highfalutin audiences. The swear-word equivalent would be something along the lines of No sh*t!I declare may have come from an English oath (the sworn proclamation kind) declaring that no foreign parties have power to subvert the Crown. Because that is supposedly how the original author first wrote it. 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. 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. It mentions . The second contributor on the AOL site is simply repeating things without any understanding. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. Well, I found it. The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote. 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. Donate via PayPal. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. The request was to a general that had troops near Horseshoe Bend Alabama, protecting settlers against a Creek Indian uprising. The exact tranlation might be, 'If God is willing, and there isn't a flood that would prevent us from meeting again next week'. That book was a 1908 publication and leans toward the thought of Creek Indian, even if not capitalized, because of the word fire (as in shooting guns). 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. You'll most often hear it coming out of Mama's mouth when the kids are running amok. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Is this derivation correct? Your first citation is much stronger than your second. 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. Jan 29, 2014 at 19:34 . It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. If the Creek Dont Rise by Leah Weiss is a 2017 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. All rights reserved. Ain't got no dog in that race. Required fields are marked *. the creek don't rise. 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. If we relied on written sources it would be hard to believe in such continued use. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. 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. From the beginning, the first narrative of Sadie Blue, which broke my heart from the first page, it feels like it will be her story. "The Good Lord willing and the 'creek' don't rise" is just one of them. on, This page was last edited on 22 January 2022, at 17:42. The first big battles in the Creek War were, indeed, attacks on white settlements, but it was not a matter of an uprising that threatened settlers, rather it was an outbreak of war between two armed groups in which whites and Indians sought each other out. And, when the doins been done, the feller done did it. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda, Sarah, Jennifer and Porshajo. The researchers went on to cite two different publications in the 1800s in which the authors did not capitalize the word creek, leading one to believe they did not mean the people proper. Apparently Carter had a great many pills, because the phrase found its way into the Southern vocabulary. In his experience, it doesnt take much for local creeks and streams to cause trouble. January 2021: Hat tip to Maria whonotes that the collection of Benjamin Hawkinss letters has now been digitized and can be read at this link. Theres probably a connection between eternal damnation and tarnation. As was the case with Dr Mattox, the remark is routinely attributed to first being said by Benjamin Hawkins. The Lafayette gazette (Louisiana), 3 Nov. 1894. It was a big old chunk of a book, so only a couple of the kids including myself read it. A true Southern tradition. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Whatscatawampus? 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. So the saying came about like we'll be there.God willing and the Creek (indians) don't rise..to stop us. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Theres two or three creeks, he said. Andrew Jackson sent a request for reinforcements before the Battle Of New Orleans. Let me love you again, give me one more try. 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. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. There is no typical Southern accent. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. You will have spotted that neither of these capitalises creek, which suggests they didnt have the Creek people in mind. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. If so, you know that being madder than a wet hen is very mad indeed. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. 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. 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. 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. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. Gumption is spirit, courage, spunk, boldness, and initiative. And I have used this page's title often-feeling quite sure I knew exactly what it meant. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. Actually this is not proven. 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. 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. (the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. 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. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. To cover your bases you might say, "I'll see you then if the creek don't rise." Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, origin of phrase - "if the creek don't rise". Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Its worth looking into because of the way in which it has been elaborated in the version you quote.. Note that the Creek Nation(s) did not rise at all. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US. Over yonder past the cotton field. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! It's raining cats and dogs. Only 15 days into her marriage to Roy Tupkin and Sadie Blue is already . You dont know whats underneath that water, Rose said. 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. What in tarnation? But today Ive stumbled across the claim that it refers to an uprising by the Creek (or Cree) Indians. The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinatingand plenty lively. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. the creek don't rise " is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. There is no reason to suppose the Indian variant is true. Rather, when this phrase is used, we'd like you to mind your manners and stop acting inappropriately. "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.". However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. 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.. All rights reserved. Come visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. No matter where you go in Kentucky, the people often have some colorful expressions. Learn how your comment data is processed. When you're exhausted in an I'm-so-beat-I-can't-go-on kind of way, you're definitely worn slap out. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. But I know of just four instances from that century. I've been in a slump of just ok books and was craving one that was special. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." It was bad as all get out. It turns out that the phrase was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. Whether you're talking about volume or value, a hill of beans isn't worth much. It can be summarised as if all goes well. It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia, that has historically isolated one rural neighborhood or another temporarily inaccessible on several or many occasions. 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. A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction.

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