Comments on: God Willing and the Creek don’t Rise http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978 A Blog about Words and Language(s) from alphaDictionary.com Tue, 21 May 2013 19:53:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: CC http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-471250 CC Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:23:23 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-471250 Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, (b 1754 - d 1816) is credited with the phrase, correctly written as 'God willing and the Creek don't rise'. He wrote it in response to a request from President Washington to return to our Nation's Capital and the reference is to The Creek Indian Nation. If the Creek "rose", Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. The phrase is preserved in his writings. The Creek Indian wars here in Gerogia lasted from about 1700 to 1836 when the last rise (raid) occurred outside of Waycross Ga, the raid was led by a Creek Indian Chief named Billy Bow Legs. He killed most of a family including there small children. He then fled into the Okefenokee Swamp where he was captured and later hung along with several members of his raiding party. Don't believer everything Snopes says they are wrong as often as they are right. Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, (b 1754 – d 1816) is credited with the phrase, correctly written as ‘God willing and the Creek don’t rise’. He wrote it in response to a request from President Washington to return to our Nation’s Capital and the reference is to The Creek Indian Nation. If the Creek “rose”, Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. The phrase is preserved in his writings. The Creek Indian wars here in Gerogia lasted from about 1700 to 1836 when the last rise (raid) occurred outside of Waycross Ga, the raid was led by a Creek Indian Chief named Billy Bow Legs. He killed most of a family including there small children. He then fled into the Okefenokee Swamp where he was captured and later hung along with several members of his raiding party. Don’t believer everything Snopes says they are wrong as often as they are right.

]]> By: Chelle http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-469366 Chelle Sun, 05 Aug 2012 20:19:16 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-469366 Actually, snopes has debunked the origin of this quote to Benjamin Hawkins, claiming he actually didn't say it, and that it doesn't refer to the Creek tribe. If that is the case, then where - exactly - did the quote originate and from what reason/event? Actually, snopes has debunked the origin of this quote to Benjamin Hawkins, claiming he actually didn’t say it, and that it doesn’t refer to the Creek tribe. If that is the case, then where – exactly – did the quote originate and from what reason/event?

]]> By: Kay Green http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-385021 Kay Green Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:24:50 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-385021 P.S. In our part of the south, the Cherokee had pushed the Creeks out long before white settlers moved in, so logically we should be saying, "Good lord willing and the Cherokee don't rise." P.S. In our part of the south, the Cherokee had pushed the Creeks out long before white settlers moved in, so logically we should be saying, “Good lord willing and the Cherokee don’t rise.”

]]> By: Kay Green http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-385017 Kay Green Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:19:11 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-385017 I thought the same as Perry Lassiter, that it meant a creek which was forded to get out to a main road from one's home. Settlers always had to build near a source of water, which was usually a creek or a spring. There is an area of the county where I live that can't be reached if Lookout Creek floods. If the creek rises, yay! A day off from school! I thought the same as Perry Lassiter, that it meant a creek which was forded to get out to a main road from one’s home. Settlers always had to build near a source of water, which was usually a creek or a spring. There is an area of the county where I live that can’t be reached if Lookout Creek floods. If the creek rises, yay! A day off from school!

]]> By: Larry Thornton http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-345119 Larry Thornton Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:06:44 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-345119 The saying for me has always been "The good lord willing and the creek's don't rise." If the water is up in the creeks, then yer a not a goin' to get thar. The saying for me has always been “The good lord willing and the creek’s don’t rise.” If the water is up in the creeks, then yer a not a goin’ to get thar.

]]> By: Mike http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-341631 Mike Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:25:14 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-341631 The exact wording isn't as important as the implied meaning. As long as the people understand. The exact wording isn’t as important as the implied meaning. As long as the people understand.

]]> By: Jack http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-338906 Jack Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:47:02 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-338906 My family (parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great grandparents), always said "The good lord willin' and the river don't rise." They lived from the irish logging camps of northern wisconson to eastern south dakota, settled here in the 1800s and now mostly have passed away. I still live in Minneapolis and hear this phrase occasionally. My family (parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great grandparents), always said “The good lord willin’ and the river don’t rise.” They lived from the irish logging camps of northern wisconson to eastern south dakota, settled here in the 1800s and now mostly have passed away. I still live in Minneapolis and hear this phrase occasionally.

]]> By: KellyK http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-337703 KellyK Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:54:53 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-337703 I've actually heard it as "God willing and the river don't rise." In fact, that's the only way I've heard it. (I've heard it from all of two people, one of whom picked it up from the other, so my experience isn't even remotely representative.) I can easily picture someone hearing the "creek" version and modifying it for just the reason you suggest--a river flooding is a much bigger deal than a creek flooding. (The river version even gets 6000 Google hits, but nowhere near the 194,000 of "God willing and the creek don't rise." I’ve actually heard it as “God willing and the river don’t rise.” In fact, that’s the only way I’ve heard it. (I’ve heard it from all of two people, one of whom picked it up from the other, so my experience isn’t even remotely representative.)

I can easily picture someone hearing the “creek” version and modifying it for just the reason you suggest–a river flooding is a much bigger deal than a creek flooding. (The river version even gets 6000 Google hits, but nowhere near the 194,000 of “God willing and the creek don’t rise.”

]]> By: Perry Lassiter http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978&cpage=1#comment-325513 Perry Lassiter Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:39:08 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=978#comment-325513 When I was a kid, we played in Forest Park in Ft. Worth. A branch of the Trinity River ran through that was more a creek than a river. But one day after some heavy rains, we approached where we usually jumped over the creek. Whoa! One big time river. Impassable without a boat. I always took the expression about the creek rising literally, meaning it blocked the fords, and one couldn't get through. When I was a kid, we played in Forest Park in Ft. Worth. A branch of the Trinity River ran through that was more a creek than a river. But one day after some heavy rains, we approached where we usually jumped over the creek. Whoa! One big time river. Impassable without a boat. I always took the expression about the creek rising literally, meaning it blocked the fords, and one couldn’t get through.

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