Creek or Crick

[jbindm]

Where I grew up in north-ish central Iowa it was "crick". I grew up and moved away. It's "creek" now.

 

[Al_4_State]

Fair enough

Weirdly on topic, I used to know a guy from South East Iowa, and he used to use the term "Cricker" for anyone of the Mennonite faith. Claimed that's what they were called where he came from. It wasn't derogatory. He said that everyone just called them that. Anyone else ever hear that one? Is it related to creek vs. crick?

Tyler Childers has a song called “Creeker” that’s clearly about a simple rural guy struggling to deal with city life, and the protagonist is clearly labeled Creeker.

Makes me think there’s something to this

 

[Al_4_State]

Of course alarson thinks you’re some kind of inbred mongrel for saying crick

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

If you warsh your clothes down by the crick, you probably also treat your sister the same way Alabamans treat theirs.

 

[SCyclone]

It's crick in NW Iowa, but creek here in SE Wisconsin.

That was my take. I grew up in Wisconsin (where there are creeks), and seemingly everyone I know in Iowa refers to them as cricks.

I thought a crick was something you got in your neck when you slept wrong.

 

[qwerty]

I had a crick in my neck from staring at the creek through the window so the floorboard wouldn't creak.

 

[LarryISU]

I grew up on a farm in central Iowa, we had a crick. My Dad called it the crick, my Grandpa called it the crick, so we all called it the crick. I don't mind being told I speak Iowegian. It's why I say "pry" instead of "probably." It's why I "goat" the store rather than "go to" the store.

 

[yowza]

**** creek or **** crick.

 

[yowza]

Got a few hillbillies around these parts apparently.

Not everyone has been citified.

 

[yowza]

The corona spreads the quickest in the cities and not out around the crick.

 

[Hayes30]

Crick. If you don't think so you are wrong!

 

[Jonyrose]

Pronounce it the way it’s spelled. Last time I checked, nothing with “ee” is ever pronounced as a hard “i” by anyone that speaks real English.

I love that you think English has rules that make sense. So quaint.

 

[cyclones500]

I call them streams

I pronounce it Strim.

 

[Cyforce]

I call them streams

Streams have trout, cricks just bullheads

 

[Cyched]

I pronounce it Strim.

Strim Shady?

 

[GTO]

JFC, people. In my ESL classes it was always pronounced creek, so I'm assuming that is the correct term.

 

[weeterkane]

@weeterkane I'd be curious about your "disagree" since you do not know the specific area I grew up in.

True, I don’t know your specific area. But as someone that grew up in NW Iowa, and not being an “old timer”, I am doubting the all inclusive nature of your statement. Sorry but this is obviously an emotional topic. Lol. Cave?

 

[NodawayRiverClone]

"I seen someone fishin in the crick down by where we throwed our old warshing machine in"

Was that person drinking a soda?

 

[Cyched]

A follow up would be:

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner?

or

Breakfast-Dinner-Supper?

 

[NodawayRiverClone]

Creek is correct American English. Crick is a regional colloqialism. If you don't know that regional language carries the day, all y'all haven't been far from home.