good Lord willing
If God allows it; if nothing wrecks the plan.
Also called Lord willing, God willing and the creek don't rise.
Updated September 21, 2026
good Lord willing pronunciation
/good LORD WILL-in/
Meaning
A humble way to hedge a promise or plan. You mean to show up, finish the job, or make it to Sunday dinner, but you are leaving room for the Lord and for life to say otherwise. Often stretched into "good Lord willing and the creek don't rise," which adds a farm-country flood warning. Said alone, it still carries that church-and-porch faith talk.
How folks use it
- “We'll be there Saturday, good Lord willing.”
- “Good Lord willing, that hay gets baled before the rain.”
Origin and etymology
Protestant Southern speech echoing older Christian hedges like "God willing" (and the Latin Deo volente). Rural Americans, especially in the South and Appalachia, paired it with creek floods that could cut dirt roads. Print has the longer form by the mid-1800s. The Benjamin Hawkins / Creek Nation story floating online is folklore, not proven history.
Frequently asked questions
Is the creek about the Creek tribe?
No. Researchers treat that story as a myth. Creek here means a stream that might flood the road.