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Re: Pronunciation

Bob Nelson asked: "was there ever a time where a certain
actor-turned-politician had his last name pronounced 'REE-gun'?"

The third edition of the NBC Handbook of Pronunciation (1964) says
Reagan=REE-guhn.  On the other hand, I dug out the Mitchell Trio's 1967
lp Alive! and played side 1, cut 1: "What This Country Really Needs Is
Another Movie Star."  This would be roughly contemporaneous with the
Laugh-In and Phil Ochs "REE-gun" examples cited, yet it's pronounced
"RAY-gun" throughout.

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