Well, hells bells. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. He told us about a young man who had been in the museum some weeks previous. Have you ever seen a wet hen? No Bigger Than a Minnow in a Fishing Pond, A Rooster One Day and A Feather Duster the Next, If You Know These Sayings, You Definitely Grew Up in the South, Only Real Southerners Know the Meaning of "Putting On the Dog", Things Only Southern Moms Say To Their Daughters, Things Only Southerners Say When It Snows. The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. Origin debaters point to Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator. 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. When you're in the South, "over yonder" is a distant directionany direction. Doh! 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. Which means if nothing crazy happens or anything out my control such as a natural disaster. However, with the west in flames, both whites and Indians began organizing fighters. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. All rights reserved. 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. 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. A sister who is afraid of losing her brother and Sadie's grandmother and aunt, all tell their stories adding to Sadie's own. The doin hasnt been done yet. In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." A strikingly sincere portrait of a town and its buried secrets from an outstanding new voice in southern fiction. If you've read the book summary, you already know Sadie Blue lives with a devil of a man, but she's not the only one who has lived with a wife beater of a husband. 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! When you've met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is "pretty as a peach." This book reminds me of that. 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. It is sometimes thought that the word "Creek" instead refers to the Creek Indians, but this is unlikely. Weiss has a unique voice. Settle in, because whatever we're talking about is going to take all day. 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. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. Well, at least we thought we did.but maybe not. 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. What in tarnation? Take a look here Michael: http://www.genealogynation.com/creek/. Firsts, Mines, Asks. We didnt. It is a breathtaking and gritty portrayal of hillbilly life from the year 1970 which is set in the Appalachian Mountains. The "creek don't rise" phrase is now sometimes credited to this time of unrest and displacement. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Threats not only from abroad, but internally as well, forced the fledgling nation to negotiate treaties with the tribes on the western frontier. I was just hoping for something more concrete about the real origin. During the course of his 21 years in these positions he would oversee the longest period of peace with theCreek, only to watch his lifetime of work destroyed by a faction of this Indian Nation known as the Red Sticks during the War of 1812. And I mean took me there! On his deathbed he married the Creek woman who had been his common-law wife. Its not a recent change. This phrase isn't about physical appearance. Soda web site devoted to this age-old debate. According to World Wide Words, when asked if it meant Creek Indians, their expert responded with: " Quite certainly not. Whatscatawampus? 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 . If you just heard your mama come home and you haven't finished your chores, she will definitely be "madder than a wet hen." The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. This was the phrase that he always used, at the end of each performance. (Recall, also, that the Creek who did go to war against the whites were a smaller group within the Creek nation and that the larger group remained neutral or actively assisted the whites in the warat which point they were betrayed by having the U.S. sieze all their land.). "Well I s'wanee" evokes the Southern Suwannee River. Hawkins served under George Washington as General Superintendent for Indian Affairs (17961818) and had responsibility for the Native American tribes south of the Ohio River, and was principal Indian agent to the Creek Indians. (Yes, it is terrible grammar, but that is how it is said. No, we don't mean you need to go fix your hair. Do You Know These Sizzlin Southern Sayings. The approximately 20,000 Creek Indians that still exist reside in Oklahoma. 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. It completely nailed the "mountain living" that I remembered my grandmother talking about. 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. Someone reminded me not to be reminded of you. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. Wheres my blasted phone?. You may still hear it if you stop into a country store. Copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. Maybe not all dogs were made for hunting some prefer the warmth of a fireplace and the comfort of your lap. It has been noted that the phrase should be correctly written as God willing and the Creek dont rise. Any of you word experts have solid information? 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. It's a more conditional statement of intent than come hell or high water. However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. 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. 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. 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. The clipping below from 1892 is a reference to flooding waterways not allowing the postmaster to get to his office. Im not going to wrestle with historians and their Creek uprising story. But we declareif your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes fromGone With the Wind, youre missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. 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 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." When I was growing up, this was something we said all of the time. Its typically used to describe a situation thats gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. The tale is widely reproduced and believed nevertheless. He was a politician and Indian agent. When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man upstairs'. I am usually among those who bristle at change in usage. We do our best to keep our promises, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up. 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. It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired. The story of Benjamin Hawkins relationship with the Creek,Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians goes back to 1786, when America was working on solidifying its hold on the new nation. Instead of "Well, I swear," Southerners have adopted a geographically inspired alternative. Leah Weiss introduces her extraordinary characters as chapters unfold and each one has their own peculiarity. 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. Statements of the form "God/Lord willing and (some other condition being met)" are ancient extensions of simple acceptance of God's will in phrases like God willing and Lord willing. Share. 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. Her grandmother Gladys tells us of her awful past ridden with the drunkenness and senseless abuse. Runnin around like a chicken with it's head . 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. What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll? They had a conversation in which the phrase was discussed and noted as being about the Creek Indians. Accents vary by regionand sometimes even city to city. Page created 25 Feb. 2012, Problems viewing this page? But, what we do know is English once used you and ye strictly to address a group of people. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. If the good Lord's willin and the creek don't rise. In the 1900s, the word evolved, taking on a Southern spin as well as new meanings such as "courage" and "get-up-and-go.". And of course, there's nothing prettier than a warm summer day picking peaches in the sunshine. There, we listened to amazing stories told by Dr. John Mattox. Phrase [ edit] Lord willing and the creek don't rise ( idiomatic, US, informal) Barring unforeseen circumstances. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. Learn how your comment data is processed. Your email address will not be published. Two years after the signing of the treaty, Benjamin Hawkins died at the site known as Old Agency. Just wait till you see what Granny Gladys does..with a bit of help from Mother Nature..hehehe. Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue. Cookies and privacy In the Deep South? 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. World Wide Words is copyright Michael Quinion, 1996. It can be deployed sincerely, but if you're hearing "bless your heart" in the South, it probably has an edge to it. It seems this saying is a favorite expression of country singers. DeSantis's year-long quest to strip Disney of its self-rule came after the entertainment giant, and Florida's . But I know of just four instances from that century. 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. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. 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're trying to be nice, but you just can't quite let it go, "bless your heart" is a go-to. and the word HOPE. I've never forgotten it and it's drove me nuts because I would love a copy of it. I grew up with that saying and Ive said it more times than I can count. Over yonder down the road. In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett OHara says: I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you dont look dashing with that new set of whiskers!. If the creek rises, travel will be impossible and Ill never get to Grannys.
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