Idioms

the crack of dawn

the crack of dawn

The moment at which the sun first rises. It's a long drive, so we'll have to leave at the crack of dawn if we want to get there on time. I've been up since the crack of dawn repairing the fences that blew down in the storm.
See also: crack, dawn, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

crack of dawn

Very early morning, daybreak. For example, I got up at the crack of dawn. The crack in this term alludes either to the suddenness of sunrise or to the small wedge of light appearing as the sun rises over the horizon. Originally the term was usually put as crack of day. [Late 1800s]
See also: crack, dawn, of
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.

the crack of dawn

very early in the morning.
Crack here means the instant of time occupied by the crack of a whip.
See also: crack, dawn, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

the crack of ˈdawn

(informal) very early in the morning: We’ll have to get up at the crack of dawn to be there by 9 a.m.
See also: crack, dawn, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

crack of dawn, (at) the

Early in the morning. The origin of this expression is uncertain. One writer suggests that “crack” is derived from the ancient meaning of a sudden loud noise (since the word comes from Old English cracian, “to resound”), because the sun comes up suddenly. Rudyard Kipling used similar imagery in his poem “Mandalay,” where “the dawn comes up like thunder outer China ’crost the Bay.” On the other hand, “crack” may refer to a small space or opening—that is, the wedge of light that appears as the sun rises over the horizon. Whichever, the phrase originated in America in the late nineteenth century. It may already have been a cliché when W. Somerset Maugham wrote (Catalina, 1948), “He had slipped away at the crack of dawn.”
See also: crack, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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References in periodicals archive
"I have to go to bed early to be up at the crack of dawn, so a relaxing bath always helps to make me sleepy.
M Real Beauty: The last thing I do at night; Do famous faces have goody-two-shoes bedtime routines? Read on..
Owner Sheena McAllan, 42, said: "I'm sure Donald would crow at the crack of dawn if he could.
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HAVING to get up at the crack of dawn is, frankly, no excuse for looking like a dog's dinner.
3am: THAT'S RUFF, SARA
"There'll be no need to get up at the crack of dawn to put the bird in the oven, and no need to steam up the kitchen at the last minute with huge pans of cooking vegetables."
High Rhodes to heaven; Gary Rhodes: The Cookery Year Thursday, BBC2, 8.00pm
Just two years ago he was rising at the crack of dawn to deliver pints around the capital.
MILKMAN IS CREAM OF TV'S QUIZ HOSTS
But things aren't the same this time, with Japan and Korea staging the games at the crack of dawn, with the odd clash at noon.
Men are from Mars..; It's going to be a game of far too many halves
She needs time to grieve and come to terms with what happened and getting up at the crack of dawn to appear on telly will not help her do that.
Letters: Let telly wait, Kelly
He was up at the crack of dawn the next day to catch a flight to Heathrow where he was met by club officials and rushed to the south coast to play the full 90 minutes and help his team to a 1-0 victory over Bury - despite suffering from a foot injury.
Football: Richard's 500-mile dash for club clash
After returning from Spain late on Monday I was up at the crack of dawn the following morning - to go shooting on the final day of the season.
James Whitaker column: I'm a big shot now
Rising at the crack of dawn in the depths of winter struggling with arthritis, then out to do an eight-hour shift is not what most old folk would prescribe as a tonic to boost their health.
Work until we're 75? We're not machines
class="MsoNormalAt the crack of dawn Thursday, it took its rubble venture to leafy the Gigiri suburb, the diplomatic capital of the city.
Demolition of Grand Manor Hotel underway in Gigiri, Nairobi
Nobody likes to be woken up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning, particularly by the sound of bagpipes of all things.
Why you shouldn't be angry if you're woken up by bagpipes at 6am this Sunday; Bagpipes will sound bright and early at 6am tomorrow - but there's a good reason why
The GMB co-host shovels the morning meals in because he is so hungry after waking up at the crack of dawn to start work.
TV STARS EAT TOO; Thinking outside the box with Nicola Methven & Mark Jefferies; SQUARE EYES
Marine might have been underdogs, the coaches may have had to leave at the crack of dawn for the 3pm kick-off, and it might have been just a fortnight after Christmas, but more than 150 intrepid supporters made the long journey south.
Devoted fans loving their Marine life
THE worker is up at the crack of dawn, Optimistic from the day he was born.
POEM OF THE DAY; A Day in the Life of
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