Phrase origins
Jun 12, 2018 07:57:56 #
Some one recently posted something about the origins of phrases we see an or use alot. I wanted to save it but now can't find it. The one phrase I remember was about the creek rising. Would you please repost it our tell me what to search for if I want to try searching for it again.
Thank You.
Thank You.
Jun 12, 2018 08:10:12 #
The UHH search function is not the best. However, using Google search for:
.common phrases and their origins
.origins of commonly used phrases
Will result in many tools and lists about phrases.
Mark
.common phrases and their origins
.origins of commonly used phrases
Will result in many tools and lists about phrases.
Mark
starlifter wrote:
Some one recently posted something about the origins of phrases we see an or use alot. I wanted to save it but now can't find it. The one phrase I remember was about the creek rising. Would you please repost it our tell me what to search for if I want to try searching for it again.
Thank You.
Thank You.
Jun 12, 2018 08:15:22 #
Jun 12, 2018 08:41:16 #
Jun 12, 2018 08:52:21 #
Jun 12, 2018 10:06:57 #
Jun 12, 2018 10:39:42 #
ecurb1105 wrote:
"God willing and the creek don't rise."
Back in my day, it meant exactly what is stated, and had to do nothing with the Creek Indian Nation. Creek, meaning stream of water. I was raised in the country and the roads often did not have bridges over the streams. Thus, when it rained, the streams rose and often stopped ones traveling until the creek fell far enough to be crossed again.
Jun 12, 2018 12:27:43 #
Bill Hancock wrote:
Back in my day, it meant exactly what is stated, and had to do nothing with the Creek Indian Nation. Creek, meaning stream of water. I was raised in the country and the roads often did not have bridges over the streams. Thus, when it rained, the streams rose and often stopped ones traveling until the creek fell far enough to be crossed again.
Of course, that's what most people would assume it meant. But if you Google the phrase, you'll find the origin of the phrase is known, Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was referring to the Creek Indians, and capitalized Creek to show that.
Jun 13, 2018 06:31:16 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
Of course, that's what most people would assume it meant. But if you Google the phrase, you'll find the origin of the phrase is known, Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was referring to the Creek Indians, and capitalized Creek to show that.
And yet.... was he making a play on words using a popular phrase with a more common-sense meaning?
Jun 13, 2018 07:32:30 #
Bill Hancock wrote:
Back in my day, it meant exactly what is stated, and had to do nothing with the Creek Indian Nation. Creek, meaning stream of water. I was raised in the country and the roads often did not have bridges over the streams. Thus, when it rained, the streams rose and often stopped ones traveling until the creek fell far enough to be crossed again.
Jun 13, 2018 07:33:23 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
Of course, that's what most people would assume it meant. But if you Google the phrase, you'll find the origin of the phrase is known, Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was referring to the Creek Indians, and capitalized Creek to show that.
I wonder if there was a similar expression a couple of thousand years ago but with "Greek don't rise."
Jun 13, 2018 07:34:17 #
Jun 13, 2018 08:05:45 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
Of course, that's what most people would assume it meant. But if you Google the phrase, you'll find the origin of the phrase is known, Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was referring to the Creek Indians, and capitalized Creek to show that.
Also if you Google that you will find that both are listed as possible and/however the phrase was in use for years before colonists encountered Creek Indians. When the phrase became common usage (according to Google) colonists had to ford creeks and if the creek was flooded, the water was too high and too swift of current to allow horses or horse and wagon to ford it safely.
The creek don't rise
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Look up Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don't_rise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The expression "...the creek don't rise" is an American slang expression 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 one rural neighborhood or another temporarily inaccessible on several or many occasions.
Classic versions of its use tend to be along the lines of "The good Lord willing, and creek doesn't rise"—i.e. "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." It may take the form of real or mock dialect, in variations like "... Lor' willin' an' th' crick don' rise."
Jun 13, 2018 08:15:20 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
Of course, that's what most people would assume it meant. But if you Google the phrase, you'll find the origin of the phrase is known, Benjamin Hawkins of the late 18th century, who was referring to the Creek Indians, and capitalized Creek to show that.
True
Jun 13, 2018 08:23:12 #
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-god1.htm
Quote:
Every researcher who has investigated the expression has dismissed an Indian connection as untrue.
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