ass crack of dawn

Questions

What does ass crack of dawn mean?

An intensifier, used in the same contexts as crack of dawn, but more intense.

Where does ass crack of dawn come from?

From ass crack jocularly replacing crack in the (preexisting) noun phrase crack of dawn (= "break of dawn"); although ass crack (cleft, gap) and crack (break) are cognate, the jocularity nonetheless rests on the disjunction that is cognitively close to (albeit by some standards not technically) a pun.

How to pronounce ass crack of dawn

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2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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