(the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise
rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. We've had a lot of delays, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise." Lord willing and the creek don't rise, the event should go off without a hitch!
be up a/the creek (without a paddle)
slang To be in a challenging or troublesome situation, especially one that cannot be easily resolved. I have no savings, so if I get fired from my job, I'll be up the creek without a paddle. Shouldn't we stop for gas? We'll be up a creek if the car dies on that desolate road ahead. If the caterer can't make it to the event tomorrow night, then we are definitely up a creek without a paddle!
God willing and the creek don't rise
If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. We've had a lot of delays, but God willing and the creek don't rise, we should have the house finished before winter. A: "Do you reckon we'll have enough from this harvest to make ends meet?" B: "God willing and the creek don't rise." God willing and the creek don't rise, the event should go off without a hitch!
up a/the creek (without a paddle)
slang In a challenging or troublesome situation, especially one that cannot be easily resolved. I have no savings, so if I get fired from my job, I'll be up the creek without a paddle. Shouldn't we stop for gas? We'll be up a creek if the car dies on that desolate road ahead.
up poo creek (without a paddle)
slang In a challenging or troublesome situation, especially one that cannot be easily resolved. I have no savings, so if I get fired from my job, I'll be up poo creek without a paddle. Shouldn't we stop for gas? We'll be up poo creek if the car dies on that desolate road ahead.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
God willing and the creek don't rise
and Lord willing and the creek don't riseRur. If all goes well. Tom: Will you be able to get the house painted before the cold weather sets in? Jane: Yes, God willing and the creek don't rise. We'll be able to visit our daughter for Christmas, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.
up the creek (without a paddle)
and up a creek; up shit creekInf. Fig. in an awkward position with no easy way out. I'm sort of up the creek and don't know what to do. You are up a creek! You got yourself into it, so get yourself out.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
up a creek
Also, up shit creek; up the creek (without a paddle). In trouble, in a serious predicament, as in If the check doesn't arrive today I'm up a creek, or The car wouldn't start, so I was up the creek without a paddle. This slangy idiom conjures up the image of a stranded canoeist with no way of moving (paddling) the canoe. President Harry S. Truman used the first term in a letter in 1918. The first variant is considered vulgar.
up the creek
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
up the creek
INFORMAL or up shit creek
INFORMAL, VERY RUDEIf someone or something is up the creek or up shit creek, they are in a very difficult situation. The company's recent collapse has left their pension fund members up the creek. If we lose another player through injury we're basically up the creek. The economy's up shit creek and everyone's unemployed. Note: You can also use the full expression, up the creek without a paddle. Manufacturing really is up the creek without a paddle. He owes the bank a lot of money so he's up the creek without a paddle. Note: A creek is a narrow bay. The idea is of being in a boat such as a canoe without being able to control it.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
be up the creek without a paddle
be in severe difficulty, usually with no means of extricating yourself from it. informal Often shortened to be up the creek , this expression is recorded in the mid 20th century as military slang for ‘lost’ (for example, while on a patrol).
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
up the ˈcreek
(informal) (also up shit ˈcreek (without a ˈpaddle) taboo, slang) in great difficulty: Make sure you look after the money and passports — if they get stolen we’ll be right up the creek.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
God willing and the creek don’t rise
and GWATCDR phr. & comp. abb. If we are lucky. I’ll be there, GWATCDR.
up the creek without a paddle
verbup a creek
verbup the creek
verbMcGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
up the creek (without a paddle)
Informal In a difficult, unfortunate, or inextricable position.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
up a/the creek (without a paddle)
In deep trouble; in a tight spot. Also put more baldly as up shit creek, this expression is almost certainly of American vintage from the early twentieth century, but the exact origin has been lost. Joseph Heller used it in Catch-22 (1961): “You really are up the creek, Popinjay.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer