View source for Newfie

{{Short description|Slang term for someone from Newfoundland}}
{{italic title}}
{{for|the dog|Newfoundland dog}}
'''''Newfie''''' (also '''''Newf''''' or sometimes '''''Newfy''''') is a [[Colloquialism|colloquial]] term used by Canadians and others for someone who is from [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]. Many Newfoundlanders consider "Newfie" as a [[Pejorative|slur]] first used by American and Canadian military forces stationed on the island. The term is also associated with jokes from the mid-to-late 20th century that depicted "Newfies" as foolish, in particular when told in [[Canadian French]], leading to a belief in the derogatory nature of the term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/newfie |title=Newfie Definition & Meaning |publisher=Dictionary.com |date= |accessdate=2022-05-13}}</ref><ref>King, R. and Clarke, S. (2002), Contesting meaning: Newfie and the politics of ethnic labelling. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 6: 537–558. doi: 10.1111/1467-9481.00200</ref>
During the [[World War II|Second World War]], sailors on [[Atlantic convoys|convoy]] duty nicknamed [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] ''Newfiejohn''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.noac-national.ca/article/Dunlop/The_Sinking_of_U90.html |title=The Sinking of U90 |last=Dunlop |first=Daniel T |access-date=2008-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627153417/http://www.noac-national.ca/article/Dunlop/The_Sinking_of_U90.html |archive-date=2007-06-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Usage==
The first edition of the ''Gage Canadian Dictionary,'' published in 1983, and the second edition of the ''[[Random House Dictionary of the English Language|Random House Unabridged Dictionary]],'' published in 1987, both include usage notes describing the term 'Newfie' as offensive.  However, neither the second edition of the ''[[Canadian Oxford Dictionary]]'', published in 2004, nor the current edition of the ''Dictionary of [[Newfoundland English]]'', published in 1998, make such a mention.<ref>"[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/3053.html Newfie]".  ''[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/ Dictionary of Newfoundland English]'', 2nd ed.  1998.  Story, G. M.; Kirwin, W. J.; & Widdowson, J. D. A., eds.  {{ISBN|978-0-8020-6819-4}}.  [[Toronto]]: [[University of Toronto Press]].</ref>
In March 2006, an [[Edmonton]] police officer was disciplined for using the word ''Newphie''{{sic}} to describe the apprehension of an individual under the Mental Health Act.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-03-12 |title=edmontonsun.com - Edmonton News - N-word draws flak |url=https://edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/03/12/1484123-sun.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205071851/http://www.edmontonsun.com:80/News/Edmonton/2006/03/12/1484123-sun.html |archive-date=2008-02-05 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=[[Edmonton Sun]]}}</ref>
==See also==
* ''[[Caribou (passenger train)|Newfie Bullet]]'', an [[irony|ironic]] nickname created by [[United States|U.S.]] military personnel serving at bases in Newfoundland during the [[Second World War]] for a notoriously slow [[passenger train]] operated on the island.
* [[Newfoundland Screech|Newfie Screech]], a type of [[rum]] bottled in Newfoundland.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mine-and-Your-Town/Awareness-The-Word-Newfie-and-its-Implications/16161143422 Awareness/Education: Implications of the use of the word 'Newfie']
* [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28147873232 Discussion on Implications of the word 'Newfie']
* [http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sandra/nfsay.htm Newfoundland] [http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/folklore/newfwords.html sayings and] [http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_nov2003/Newfie_English.htm expressions]
* [http://www.homesicknewfies.com HomeSickNewfies]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090522215715/http://www.putitinyourears.com/051 A comedy podcast discussing 'Newfie' with a Newfoundlander]
* [http://www.UpAlong.org From Newfoundland to UpAlong.org]
[[Category:People from Newfoundland and Labrador|*]]
[[Category:Regional nicknames]]
[[Category:Pejorative demonyms]]
[[Category:Canadian English]]