Howdy, folks
This has been bugging me for quite a while: How do you pronounce Dai Vernon's first name? Is it "Die", or "Day"?

Incidently, I understand that his real name was David Winfield Vernon. This intrigues me because my first and middle names are David Vernon, and Winfield is the name of several of my ancestors. I know it's all coincidence, but it's fun to entertain the idea of a genetic connection.

Thanks,
Dusty Dave

Either way. I have heard a story where he pronounced either in too different ways, as you can, which is the same as his name. I understood from a previous discussion that he, himself, pronounced it as "die". There was a thread about this a year or so ago.

I've always heard it "Die"

It's pronounced like DAY.

Hah hah, as you can see, there is hard to find concensus on anything in the magic community. Well, doesn't matter soon this thread will be filled with post by people who have actually spend time with the professor. Although, they might start arguing the same issue too. Maybe he used both pronounciasions just to wind people up

I believed that his last name is Verner. Maybe I was wrong.

He used to say "either or either".

I always pronounced it, "Professor." His real last name was "Verner."

"Dai" is a Welsh affectionate diminutive for David. It is pronounced "Die." This form occurs among the Scots and English, too, and is pronounced "Day." The Professor didn't mind either pronunciation, and considered both correct. People that knew him from his east coast days tend to pronounce it one way, and California magicians the other.

It was odd, I was thinking the other night that I used to hear Vernon tell stories about Soapy Smith, and amazingly, he was a child when Soapy Smith was shot in 1898--107 years ago. He lived long enough to be an incredible connection to the period.

Just remember the classical James Bond Movie:

*Die another day* and use the first word as pronounciation.

Also his full real name was:

David Frederick Wingfield Verner

to take name it all

Anybody having the *Dai Vernon Book of Magic* will have that information

According to Johnny Thompson, Dai is pronounced DAY. I'll take Johhny's word on it.

Hi everyone, I found this short bio about the Professor -

Close-up Conjuror: Dai Vernon

Well then, as With Haydn pointed out...
Just use the last word in *Die another Day*

(The UK/Scotland is nearer to my place , so I prefer *Die*, and also adressed him that way when he passed through CPH privately together with Jay Ose in 1964, and guess what?, he didn't even object )

Thanks, everyone, for all the info.
Does anyone know if "The Vernon Chronicles" is still in print?

Dusty Dave

Herb Zarrow says Day. He knew him well.
I would have said it was Die because I have never known anyone called Day but there are plenty of Welshmen called Die. There are so many in Wales that they are distinguished by their proffession e.g Die the Postman, Die the Magician etc. I think they spell it Dai.

There is a whole section of the Revelations video series that discusses this. One explantion that The Professor gave was that he took "David" and removed the v and the d. In fact, he makes a joke like "Well I'm just David with out the VD." (I won't explain that one.) But, going along that line of reasoning, you'd pronounce it like David, without the v or d; /day/.

His "eeeether" or "eye-ther" explanation is on Revelations, too.

Most people I know pronounce it Dai.

Get Revelations and watch it.

TC

If Dai himself pronounced it both ways, then there really is no answer is there? If there is it must be "Die"(It just sounds cooler)

I grew up in New York in the days when the professor joined us Saturday afternoons at the Caféteria where the magicians assembled after Tannens, Holdens, and Robsons closed. In those days, everyone (including Vernon) pronounced his name as "day."
Last year, I discussed this briefly with Mike Aamar after a lecture. He said that Vernon himself changed over to "die" after taking up permenent residence in California.

If you guys get a chance, watch the video "The Spirit Of Magic". You will get your answer there.


Best,
Trini

I asked him in 87, at the NY Symposium in the presence of his buddy Sol Stone. "Dai as in David, I got rid of the 'v,d' long ago".