significant "Gooks"

[Ben Zimmer]

On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 3:20 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
[...]
> Significant because it's clearly spoken in an early talkie seen by millions
> - very possibly the general public's introduction to the term.
>
> 1929 Ralph Graves & Frank Capra _Flight_ (film): The last time I saw them,
> they were chasing some gooks down a canyon.
>
> With a biplane. In Nicaragua.

Inquiring minds want to know... was it pronounced /guk/ or /gUk/?

See our 2005 discussion:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0503C&L=ADS-L&P=R8930&I=-3

--bgz

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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