My Whole Life
I’ve heard the saying ‘The Good Lord Willing & The Creek Don’t Rise.’ I grew up in the country and there were dirt roads everywhere that crossed creeks, and those creeks consistently overflowed into the road. So, I always assumed that it meant, “yes, I’ll be there, as long as the roads don’t flood”. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I became aware of an alternate belief.
The Alternate Belief
According to some, Benjamin Hawkins coined the phrase in the late 18th century. As a politician and Indian agent, he was once invited to Washington. His response? You guessed it! “God willing & the Creek don’t rise.” They deduced that it meant the tribe and not the body of water based on the capitalization of Creek. To them it means ‘I’ll be there, as long as the Creek doesn’t attack as were walking across the creek.’
Wiki’s Opinion
According to Wikipedia – The expression is an American slang implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia that has historically isolated rural neighborhoods and interrupted travel.
The earliest documented appearance in print is the 1851 use of the phrase “Providence permittin’, and the creek don’t rise” by an uneducated but highly expressive female character in a short story in Graham’s Magazine.
The expression experienced a rise in popularity in the second half of the 20th century due to its use by Tennessee Ernie Ford as the sign-off for his television shows.
More recently it has been claimed that the word “Creek” refers not to a geological feature but rather to the Creek Indians. However, this is unlikely.
Creek vs Creek?
In an ongoing feud of who said what, and with extraordinarily little evidence at hand, we may never know which Creek/creek was referenced in the letter to the President that day in Washington. Or if there ever was a letter. But we do know that it is a saying that has been around for generations and is debated regularly. What do you think he was referring to?
with love ♥ Monamie
