[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Aug 1 2004, 03:53 PM\'] In a similar vein, if the category were THINGS THAT BEGIN or THINGS YOU BEGIN, do you think they'd accept "the Beguine"? I thought of that while I was listening to the soundtrack of De-Lovely, a biopic of Cole Porter. [/quote]
I think I'd make damn sure to enunciate the "u" in "Beguine", so they didn't think you were saying "begin", but otherwise I can't think of a reason it wouldn't be a legal clue, since it's not a direct homonym, as "dew" and "do" are.
EDIT: Out of interest, I checked the proper pronunciation on Dictionary.com. What differs the two words is not the "u", it is in fact the final syllable; "Beguine" is listed as being pronounced "be-GEEN". (M-W.com lists the emphasis as being on either syllable.)
Either way, both indicate the long "e" should be used in the second syllable, so as long as you did that the clue should fly easily.