This is a republished post from September 2005. For the record, I’ve stopped using the term “Newfie” because I believe there are more negative connotations surrounding the term than there are positive ones, even when we Newfoundlanders use it to playfully describe ourselves. Recently, I’ve heard the term a lot from a person on my pool league team. She prods me on with phrases like, “That’s what us Newfies are like, right?” Got me thinking again about the subject. Over the years, I’ve written a few articles about the term… I’ll attempt to regurgitate them, in order, over the next few days. Perhaps we’ll resurrect the debate. Enjoy!
I was talking with a friend this evening, and she told me that she was always thought that the word Newfie was a derogatory term, loosely meaning “stupid”. Yet, many people from Newfoundland call themselves Newfie and are proud to do so. I am one of those.
Here’s a funny story.
Several years ago, I was one of several Newfies working in Fredericton on a large government project. We all proudly declared ourselves Newfies. One day, a lady from Quebec who worked with us mustered enough courage to question me as to why I called myself a Newfie. She was even more confused when I said I was proud of it. I further explained to her that is simply means I’m from Newfoundland. Then the light bulb turned on. She had never associated the two. She told me that growing up, her mother always used the term to mean “stupid”. If she stubbed her toe or bumped her head on something, her mother would say “you are such a newfie!”.
People are such Newfies!
Pender
February 5, 2013 at 9:00 am
Frogs are such newfies? How dare you, that’s an insult to newfies!
Steve
February 5, 2013 at 10:02 am
Ha! I see what you did there.
H Stone
February 10, 2013 at 5:00 pm
true. But I beleive it depends on the context and who uses the term. Personally Im proud to be a “newfie”
Steve
February 10, 2013 at 11:42 pm
I hear you H. Amongst ourselves it’s used to represent or express our kinship. I’ve witnessed to many others using the term in a derogatory way, and even without knowing it referred to Newfiundlanders! They were so used to using it as an insult, they didn’t even realize its reference.
Pender
February 11, 2013 at 1:19 pm
I had mentioned this topic to my mother when I was home a couple years ago. She’s a mainlander who moved to newfoundland because the people were so nice (and she will NEVER move away). Her response was “whatever, we’re newfies, who cares what the stupid mainlanders think”.
Being from newfoundland usually means being true to your nature, which includes being able to take a joke. Not understanding the term “newfie” leads me to think that the ignoramus in question is the joke… cause that’s some seriously stupid right there. Being sensitive to what the mainlanders think is, in my mind, a mainlander way of thinking.
The streisand effect is drawing attention to something by removing information, but I think along the same lines, trying to change thinking and attitudes will just backfire and add publicity to its misuse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
So I think mom’s right, as always.
Steve
February 12, 2013 at 8:07 pm
I see your point and don’t necessarily disagree. However, I don’t see how the Streisand Effect applies if I simply defer directly to the term Newfoundlander.
I must say, I like your mother’s attitude, but the point would have more oomph if she was actually from Newfoundland.
Pender
February 20, 2013 at 2:32 pm
I think that’s the difference between “don’t call me newfie, call me newfoundlander!” and “don’t call me newfie!”. Which is to still draw attention to its misuse.
She’s more newfie/newfoundlander than I’ll ever be and I was born there.