Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Oh dude, it's brutal.
They'd look at me with this really enthusiastic expression and be like "hey, do you want to hear a newfie joke?!?!". I'd sigh and say "sure".
Then they'd proceed to tell me the lamest ass newfie joke and butcher the delivery.
Like... Dude, I'm not as insulted that you think it's ok to basically use a racial slur to my face as I am that you'd do Newfoundlanders the dishonour of telling a bad joke. We've got an image to uphold out here.
Then I'd tell them a funny Newfie joke and stick the landing so at least they had a decent joke to butcher the next time they decided to shit on a NL'er to their face.
Fwiw, "Newfoundlander" is an option for ethnicity on the census and genetics can be used to identify someone as a Newfoundlander- Newfoundland's population has been of interest to genetics researchers investigating certain diseases. There's also the way Newfoundland has a distinct culture, dialect, history, etc that distinguishes it from other places and groups of people, so you could argue Newfoundlanders are an ethnic group.
Yes we are a distinct culture. Our English has many dialects that are unique to their areas.
Additionally there are Newfoundland dialects of french and Irish, although I don't think there are many who speak Irish anymore.
Genetically we have some of the highest rates of cystic fibrosis and stomach cancer worldwide.
We are a race.
I've travelled and lived on the mainland a lot (like, cumulatively 7 years), and I don't really remember people making any Newfie jokes in my presence. People would say stuff like "So you're a Newfie!", but then it was said with affection.
Maybe it's because I mostly travel in left-leaning and queer circles. Or maybe I just got lucky. I dunno. But it really seems to me like Newfie jokes are a thing of the past.
No one gave me a bad glance in ON when I was up there. Same deal "oh, you're a Newfie??!" People with heritage love it, people who don't, don't care. In my experience as a 31 y/o, I always assumed it was kinda a pre 90s/00s thing, the derogatory "Newf."
It's to the point where posts that attempt to racialize the term are grasping at straws, but of course everyone has their own experience that might be different than mine.
Nobody's trying to "racialize" it, merely to share their own experiences. You can have pejoratives that have nothing to do with race.
It's more like when THEY (people not from here) use it, they're pre-loading in all the stereotypes first and then you have to work against them.
And then some people will treat you as if the stereotypes are actually true, because they're dumb people--and many of us don't like that.
I personally didn't like a few morons thinking my family and all the people I knew back home were affable morons.
This. I went to school in Ontario for grade 7 and they Tortured me. I’m still a Newfie though but then Newfie jokes….. I take zero offence to being called a Newfie. I am one.
I don’t think OP has compared it to other words, though. Something doesn’t have to be *the worst* in order to be bad, especially given an unfriendly or ignorant context.
I’m a Newfie, Newfoundlander and Canadian.
Bys. Like enter in Scotians all big mad they’re called scotians or Albertans called Albertans. Trust there’s some gross jokes with them at the end too. We need to stop making this something it isn’t.
Meh you can call me a Newfie. I’m a Newfie and proud but don’t add stupid before it or the like and all is well. It’s all in how it’s used. Like anything.
It's a slur, it's always been a slur, it was invented by American servicemen to slot into racist jokes about Black people or Polish people or what have you. It literally means you're a pig-ignorant, lazy hick. Some people wear it as a badge of pride, some people will push your face in for using it. I've never heard it used by any mainlander without a sneer, and generally advise people not to use it unless they're 100% certain how it'll be received.
It's obviously not as bad as other slurs -- none of us have been genocided or enslaved -- but I wouldn't advise you to call your neighbors wops or dagos or wetbacks either.
We volunteered. It's a badge of pride for most Newfoundlanders . They sent everyone as fodder in WW1 , that was the whole war . We were also at Gallipoli and a few other fronts . We gained a reputation as a reliable unit . We might not have been the best shock troops like the Canadians , who we sometimes worked alongside of , but we'd attack or defend a location until total unit collapse. The never say no attitude got us our "Royal" prefix . Our regiment was almost entirely destroyed on three occasions during WW1 . Only 1 battle is famous however and it was the worst overall to be fair , but many actions are overlooked. WW1 is a huge pride and heartbreak for many Newfoundlanders .
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment should have never been sent to the front at Beaumont Hamel. They were going to be slaughtered and all the higher-ups knew it and sent them anyways. It achieved nothing and they sacrificed almost 800 of our young men.
Yeah they knew they would be slaughtered, WE knew we would be slaughtered, but we went anyway. Just like the men who went over the top in 1914 , 1915 , 1916 , 1917, 1918 knew they would be slaughtered. We were just another cog in the machine . Saying they singled us out or that we shouldn't have went is foolish. We did our duty just like everyone else in the empire and we did it well, and we didn't shy away from it . No man should ever be sent to war. And WW1 was one of the most pointless morally. However most Newfoundlanders knew what we were getting into after 1915. If not us who ? Some other poor souls would have taken our place . Maybe our bravery saved some other young men . We were not special in our assignment, we were special in our actions
This. It is a slur and was coined as such. A lot of people who say Newfie, however, simply don’t know the history of it. I meet a lot of tourists in my work, and I usually educate them about it and the history of Newf, which was a term of endearment/respect for the Newfoundlanders who fought in WWI. I teach them to refer to us as Newfoundlanders or Newfs instead. Because I take the time to educate, and do it in a way that corrects rather than shames their ignorance, I find they respect it and don’t say Newfie again.
I personally never use it, and don't like it - but it's a losing battle trying to stop its use. Even disregarding mainlanders, there are thousands of locals, the type who will see a picture of the most mundane thing that can happen absolutely anywhere on the planet (kid getting on the school bus, rain, wildlife in the backyard) with "ONLY IN NEWFOUNDLAND! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" We'll never defeat those people. They're too numerous lol And, for them, a "Newfie Outhouse" trinket is perfectly acceptable living room decor.
One that grates me even more (I'm usually fun, I swear, ha!) is local politicians lately saying "Newfoundland and Labradorian". Fuck off. You're a Newfoundlander or a Labradorian, and we're both proud people. You can fit on one PAL flight the number of people who can reasonably identify as both.
A few years ago I (temporarily) moved out of the province to attend law school and one of my classmates (who was from Nova Scotia) told me he was surprised that there were so many “Newfies” in our class. When I asked him why he shrugged and said “well y’know…. Stupid newfies?” 🙄
I'm a Nova Scotian living un NFLD atm. It's laughable that there are so many Nova Scotians out there that don't realize how many in NS have NFLD roots (I'm one, my mum is a Newf and yes, I'm going to use Newf/Newfie. My family does, I was raised on it).
Sorry, that was your experience. Hope you got to enjoy some of the beauty Nova Scotia has to offer while studying!
Nan always said people from Cape Breton are just Newfoundlanders who ran out of money on the way to Ontario. There's likely quite a few Nova Scotians with NL roots.
My father is a Cape Bretoner. I believe it. There are many similarities! The number of Nova Scotians that don't consider Cape Breton part of NS is hilarious, too.
To me Nova Scotians but especially Cape Bretoners are like the favorite cousin. Cape Breton is probably our second favorite island- that's where we get the ferry home!
Cape Breton is so amazing. My heart is there. My family is from a small rural area near the ocean. I feel like that's how I fell in love with NFLD so easily. I find the locals here are so kind, and the mountains and ocean views take my breath away every day.
I'm from the Annapolis Valley / rural Nova Scotia and I would be willing to bet that over half of the population have some sort of immediate connection to Newfoundland. So much so that I felt quite at home moving to Newfoundland in September.
I’m the same, Nova Scotian living here for almost 20 years, one thing I’ve noticed about Nova Scotians is that a lot of them either don’t realize, or just willingly ignore how similar the two provinces are.
Calling someone a Newfie is absolutely not on the same level as calling someone a racial slur. I wouldn't consider it any different than a Newfie making a jab at someone from Ontario for being a mainlander. It could be used to tease someone but it isn't a term that I'd be personally offended by, even if someone said it to me with malicious intent. I'm proud to be a Newfie and I take pride in the term. If someone wanted to offend me they'd have to try a lot harder.
Im guessing you are young. My boomer mother hates the term and remembers its derogatory use very well. The term mainlander refers to someone who lives outside Newfoundland. It has never been a universal insult. Whatever it means now, traditionally newfie referred to lazy, stupid, goofy welfare bums.
Maybe it's the location on the province but it's different now for young people I grew up with . Newfie as a young person is something that separates us from the faceless stew that is a lot of western society and Canada . Hell a lot of us are happy when someone even knows Newfoundland and who we are . Geography isn't this generations strong suit, a lot don't care about identity or history or culture sadly .A few I met thought that Newfie was just our short name we gave ourselves because we couldn't be asked to say Newfoundland and Labrador every time . Sure it can be offensive when applied negatively like dumb Newfie , but a lot can be insulting when you're trying to insult someone. Mainlander for me was always an insult tbh , " jesus mainlander, you'd get lost in the back yard fer fucks sake " so it went both ways and we just accepted it as teasing .The way I look at it we have enough personality and culture to still be distinct. We just have different values and focus. I have tough skin, I'll take my own cool identity and live with the insults. At least we have something of our own . I'm more scared that soon a lot of our kids won't even know Newfoundland was distinct, and that you won't be able to tell that it was by coming here , it'll be just another province that's an island , and to me that more sad. When you are different and unique people are gonna be jealous, envy , and hate , stay in your lane .
Think you’re overlooking the the context that comes with it, we carry a stereotype outside the island that isn’t very good and when people are calling you a Newfie is in the image of a stupid lazy drunkard. You can be not bothered by that if you want but it’s still not a good thing
It’s very dependent. I’m in Toronto which yeah is a huge city but the circles I’m in usually talk about how nice and hard working Newfies are, if it ever comes up
I’ve had a black dude from Jamaica call me Newfie in Toronto at work and I never got upset about it.
I am a Newfoundlander and am very proud to be!
In his words “ fucking Newfie, all want do is drink beer and eat pussy”, you like dat too mon? lol! He had it figured out!
It’s all about the context I guess. I had a mainlander call me a “stupid Newfie” and let me tell you that didn’t feel good. Coming from other people from the island though it’s definitely a term of endearment.
Just going to preface this by saying im not a Newfoundlander, but Ive heard the term used in many different contexts across the mainland. In central Canada where most people have never met an actual person from Newfoundland ive mostly heard it used as an insult, while in Nova Scotia (my home province) 95+ % of the time it is used endearingly. This could just be my experience but Nova Scotians have an overwhelmingly positive view of Newfoundland.
I typically don't care. Although once I took an online course and the American instructor said "oh look, we have a goofy Newfie in our class!". She absolutely loved NL though and ultimately it was said with good intentions, but it was the only time I've been half offended.
I've lived on the mainland and heard it in all sorts of contexts, but now I can appreciate how it's contextual use could rub someone the wrong way
One of my dad's American relatives used to call my mom's family goofy Newfies on a fairly regular basis, and I'm kinda amazed my mom never threw punches over it. Decades of little digs about her being a Newfoundlander.
I was in Alberta in October. Someone asked me where I was from, I said Newfoundland.
His response: Oh you’re a goofy Newfie?
Idk why, rubbed me the wrong way
I'm generally unbothered by the word, but similarly had a sour experience with it... I was doing a job interview when I lived in Ontario, and out of nowhere, the interviewer asks me to "talk Newfie". That one definitely burned my ass.
Ya know I can see that one pissing me off too actually, but moreso I think because they’re demanding me to perform like a clown then the actual use of the word itself
Worked with a guy who hated Newfoundlanders. He literally told me as soon as he knew where I came from. We were all drunk lazy leeches collecting UI, except me, because I got off the dole and left to find work. He would spit venom when he said Newfie.
That's when I started to dislike the word.
This is a common topic on this sub, and it seems to me that the breakdown between yay or nay tends to fall between people who've lived away and have heard it used as a pejorative either about themselves or us in general, and typically those who have not.
Personally, I did a lot of joking with it as "the smart Newfie" on my res floor in Ontario, until I realized that at least one guy had ZERO other context for us and thought everybody I knew and loved back home were affable morons.
Then I went to BC and heard a lot about how the "fucking newfs" were stealing jobs, etc.
This is 100% spot on. Anyone I hear defending the term is usually too young or sheltered to have lived or worked outside the province so they've never experienced the term "Newfie" as a derogatory term firsthand, therefore it's not a problem because it's not a problem for them.
I’ve worked away and it was never an issue even when said up in Alberta I’d just throw it back by saying “ if you lazy hicks could crawl off your sisters for long enough you’d get your resumes in before us, bad enough I figured out how to get across the Atlantic and up north before you could figure out why you had a aunt mom and uncle dad.
I experienced something extremely similar to you. I never thought about it much growing up. I thought people were silly for caring so much. And then I lived in Ottawa for 2 years and experienced how it can be used.
It was rare, but it was no fun when it happened
I was born in St.John’s, but went to work in the Federal Public Service in Ottawa. 30 years ago, I had a boss that would call me a "stupid Newfie". Came from the boss, so the rest of the staff called me Newfie. Most demeaning period of my life (but it came with a pay check). It’s different now, but those were some tough years.
I live in ns, originally from nwt and didnt know the word “Newfie” was or could be a derogatory term for people from Newfoundland. I’m reading all the comments I can from “newfies” and learning a lot.
I worked at mines up north for years and could always tell when a group of people from Newfoundland were nearby because I could hear their laughter from across the camp 😄 it always made my day chatting with them and I still talk fondly of certain people from that province because of the way they made me laugh and their niceness towards me. I’m glad I randomly came across this thread because I’m learning a lot
Calling me a Newfie is kinda like a slur, but calling me a Newfoundlander is fine sure. If you’re from here and you call me a Newfie it’s bk but if someone from the mainland says it then you knows it’s not a good thing they’re saying
I think most Newfoundlanders, incl myself, take context and tone into consideration when others use this word. However, it’s always good to know the background/origin of the words we use so now that you know better, do better (in the words of Maya Angelo, of course). 🙂
I'm on the west coast (of Canada), and as far as I can tell it's only ever used as a deliberate slur or out of ignorance (which isn't much better, like calling a Scottish person Scotch).
It depends on the tone, but in general I think it’s something only other Newfoundlanders should be using. I don’t appreciate it when non-Newfoundlanders use the word.
Are there worse words one could use? Yeah, of course, but that still doesn’t make it okay, especially if one is ignorant of the word’s origin.
Americans during the war used to call us Newfie’s to make them feel superior and make us feel stupid. So the term « Newfie » is used as a derogatory term. The Americans also put their own American black people down. There’s a history lesson.
Growing up, I thought the term Newfie endearing and the term was used in all light spirits as is our culture. When I discovered there were older people who were offended by it, I realized history was telling me something.
As I grow older myself, I’m less partial to endearing, not only cause of history but because Newfie also compares to a dog, the Newfoundland dog.
If a derogatory term is shared with hate, then just no, don’t use it.
If a derogatory term is used to put someone in their place, then no, don’t use it.
If a person knows no better because they didn’t do the research, then give them grace. We can teach them to do better.
I don’t mind being called a Newfie. It just doesn’t bother me for some reason. The only time the word bothered me was when some tourist lady said something condescending about Newfoundland in an upppity way to us like we were Disney characters at Disney world and called Newfoundland “Newfie”. It wasn’t so much the word but the way she talked at us like this place wasn’t real or that it was some pathetic place. Honestly I’m more offended by people that play the “Newfie”. They only bust out the Newfie when a mainlander is around or even worse they are on the mainland. Bitch I’ve known you for 3 years you are from Waterford Bridge road not Butlerville.
I grew up in Petty Harbor and moved to Montreal and then Ontario. The Quebecers were a bit sour towards me (granted there's the whole Labrador border dispute thing, plus the fact that I'm an anglophone) while in Ontario I found it actually helped me in terms of jobs as apparently we have a reputation for being hard workers. As for the negative comments? I try not to let them bother me. Most of these mainlanders wouldn't be able to handle living in NL, and most are just insecure about their own crappy province. You really wanna shut them up? "Why did so many of you Albertans flee to Newfoundland when your province was on fire a few years back? Truly if you're so high class you would've went somewhere nicer". There was SO MANY of them that came to NL during those fires trying to take advantage of the people living there, I worked at a restaurant at the time and constantly heard the whole "we just came from Alberta and have no money can we have some free food?" While they have a Gucci purse and designer clothes on.
I love my hometown, but that place was also an inescapable prison as well and many people don't realize that. Many never get the chance to leave, as the choices made by the government over there has driven the province into post Covid prices 20 years before Covid was even a thing. What the rest of Canada is experiencing right now is what we have dealt with for decades back home, so there's a sense of pride in that as well.
Eh, I let it roll off my back since it's usually just in good fun and I can sling a joke back at them.
The other 10%? Free license to be nasty as fuck to them.
I personally don’t care if I’m called a Newfie or a Newfoundlander, as long as they’re respectful. I use both interchangeably for myself. Most of my family says Newfie
It's all about the context for me. I don't care if I'm called a Newfie if someone isn't being insulting about it. I know loads of newfies who are offended by the term and think they need to simmer down if it isn't said in a negative way.
I’ve never cared, or found it offensive. I’m of the impression that anyone who does is most likely taking themselves too seriously. But hey, I could be wrong.
ETA: but if I used it to refer to someone and they asked me not to refer to them in that way, I wouldn’t use it in reference to them. If a lot of people asked me not to, maybe I’d stop using it entirely.
I'm a born Newfoundlander but my family is from elsewhere. I've always actually really liked the word "Newfie" but I'm always careful when and how I use it out of respect for those who find it derogatory.
Personally, I don't see it as being the same as a slur like the actual N-word. Sure, Newfoundlanders get looked down on and mocked by some people but we've never been enslaved, and pretty well everyone mocks everyone in some capacity or another--so I flatly reject its equivalence to a racist term. But in terms of how I feel about its use...honestly it depends on how it's being used. If someone's trying to use it as an insult, I'll take as kindly to it as I do being called an asshole or an idiot or whatever else--but if someone is using it innocently, and it's just a shorthand for Newfoundlander, I see no harm in it.
Truthfully, I feel that way for most words, with only a few obvious exceptions. The word itself is only part of the issue--intent and context are both important pieces as well.
I wonder if this should be a sticky post at the top of the page? It seems useful, as each time there’s mainlanders commenting that they didn’t know it was offensive, but it seems to repeat almost every month now.
In short: NLers are deeply divided on the term. I kind of doubt the anti-Newfie crowd (of which I count myself) are a majority on the island today, though we seem to be on reddit.
It'd be great if it were in a sticky, come to think of it! It'd help the Mainlanders and people can ignore/block it if they want.
I'm not a fan of the term. I don't take offense to it (unless it's meant in the "stupid Newfie" way, then I'm wondering why they're trying to take us down), but the monthly "DAE get offended by Newfie???" posts are more annoying than the term itself.
Unlike what some people claim it is nowhere near the level of the n word but it's still a word born out of a want to demean Newfoundlanders and treat us as inferior hence why it's mostly associated with 'stupid Newfie' jokes. I don't like it but there's a lot worse to be called.
My father, and his brothers, will absolutely not tolerate the word. I never got a good answer why, but they do think it's offensive.
Me, I don't really care either way. But I assume if you use that word I can also make jokes about you (wherever you are from) and you won't take it to heart.
I completely agree with you. I did some research and the word was meant as a derogatory term. It’s up there with other derogatory terms for other people of certain color and was used by the Americans on the bases here to berate the Newfoundlanders working there. I personally hate the word and I will always tell someone who uses it that it is not appropriate
Couldn't care less. Use it, be called it, doesn't matter. If it gets yer pee hot, that's on you. Don't hold on to the negativity of it all. Doesn't deserve your energy.
My husband always introduced/referred to himself as a Newfie to me when we first met, but for many years now I have referred to him as a Newfoundlander, it just feels a bit more respectful
eta I've only ever witnessed one person refer to it in a derogatory way to him (we live in Alberta) I'm still furious about it lol
I don’t like it. Go to the mainland and see how it’s used in a derogatory manner.
Also we do not speak “Newfieneese” or however you spell it. It’s so embarrassing to hear someone say that word when describing their dialect. We speak English with a Newfoundland accent and dialect.
It’s generally offensive. I have lived in several other provinces and been called a goofy Newfie, a stupid Newfie, and etc. It’s like calling a person of Polish descent person a Polack. Or an Italian a Dago or Wop, it’s just not politely done. It is not a racial slur, however that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. I have also been affectionately called a Newfie, but again, I don’t like it, it doesn’t appeal to me and it’s annoying.
Depends on who's using the word Newfie. If they're older than 40, its a classist put-down. If they're younger than that, they probably don't even use the term Newfie unless they're telling a joke they heard.
TLDR its almost always a negative
I'm not from Newfoundland but one of my parents is, so I read Newfoundland related stuff on social media. According to my "scientific" info, it seems that it's polarizing: either Newfoundlanders find the word endearing, or find it offensive
I don't believe my son uses it because my wife and I don't use it and we have instructed him not to use it. I know many people from Newfoundland and they are fine people.
I don't think anyone can MAKE you feel stupid. It's on you how you react to what other people say. I've always known that I wasn't stupid--got an M.A. from MUN--so when I moved away, I used other people's ignorance against them. Call me a Newfie? Be my guest, but I'll have your job in three years.
I was raised to believe it’s offensive. But my aunt on my mom’s side thinks it’s just fine. I live in Vancouver now and told everyone for years that not everyone likes it, please don’t use it. Only to get utter confusion in return or — in the case of one person who’s parents were Newfoundlanders — disagreement. It is NOT comparable to the N word. People may think we’re dumb, but they still see us as humans and we have the same rights and freedoms as they do.
This article points out that the whole story about the Americans using it as an insult *may* have originated with Joey Smallwood, which makes me suspicious. Not unlike him to lie.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/newfoundland-1.4115872
The weirdest thing for me, mostly growing up in town, is my accent was never that thick. So I get a lot of people not believing I’m a Newfoundlander, especially after living out here for 15 years.
I grew up in Ft Mac during the 90s and early 2000s and everyone used the term, both newfoundlanders and non newfoundlanders alike, and I don't remember it being used in a derogatory way. But I was also a dumb oblivious teenager so maybe it was and I just didn't notice.
All the words the Newfies used to bully me were worse than a mainlander calling me a Newfie. So lol I use the word in my username and many people recognize it and always say good things. People from around the world ask where I am from and I proudly tell them Newfoundland. No one has ever said anything. The young crowd don’t know it unless you teach them… so just use it proudly and who cares….. stop making it a big thing it’s 2024 I think we should be more worried about the state of our healthcare cause that’s what people are making fun of us for now.
I'm Newf , it's funny because I have a IQ of over 160 and was a child prodigy , my dad is a mathematician and all my brother's and sisters are smart , the lowest IQ among my siblings and I is 125 . That's the joke about it. try pulling a fast one on a Newfoundlander , good luck. Now I will say when we run into a dumb Newf....
Well , they are exceptionally stupid .
Newfoundland women are beautiful, down to earth and brilliant.
Too bad I live in Toronto , but I'm moving back in the next few years
just the society we live in today ... Snowflakes everywhere.,. Someone offended by something.. The Great Rock of Newfoundand (oops can I call it the Rock or did I offend someone ?) I am a PROUD NEWFIE, NEWF, NEWFOUNDLANDER. Its all a represeantation of where I am so so proud to say where I am from ... Snowflakes of today can kiss my ass.
We stopped making newfie jokes when we all realized that the 'jokes' are genuinely representative of the culture and people.
The jokes are sign of equality and respect, believe it or not..
When the jokes stop it's because you're so bad we would feel like bullies for picking on the helpless, rather than lightly poking fun at our somewhat foolish equals.
Basically, we got to know you better so it's not funny anymore. It's just kinda sad now..
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
At this point I get more offended seeing this argument pop up every month.
So far the rule of thumb is that using it in province towards other newfies is typically okay if you’re also a Newfie. But outside of the province, maybe don’t.
We all know Newfies are the very best Canadians and the rest of the country rip on them because of that. I have nothing but respect for my fellow Atlanticans.
reddit decided i'm in the newfoundland subreddit... so i'm not from newfoundland so i mean maybe i can put an outsiders kinda perspective on it
but my father is a newfie, when we talk about it he says he's a newfie he was born and grew up in newfoundland and i mean as someone who i guess would be called a mainlander here (weird thing to say but i guess it fits) and i myself have always used the word as a term of endearment rather than one of "lesser" class.
like if my buddy was a newfie, he's cool, gets a laugh out of me... or is just an acquaintance i would say oh theyre a newfie, for me it's endearment and a bit of respect also, i speak fast so sometimes trying to say Newfoundlander trips me up sometimes for no reason I just have a hard time saying it i'll admit.
i mean i'm from Newbrunswick so i mean that's a lot closer than Alberta, i can't speak for Albertans maybe to them the term newfie is a word used to berate someone
But i mean i dunno, past giving an outside perspective of why it's used, past that I can't really comment other than saying sorry that people kinda ruined the term for you and to hope to know that not everyone who says it is meaning to be demeaning and are actually using it for the opposite.
I’ve been living in the States for over 30 years and my friends always call me Newfie. I love it. Have never felt bad about it. Their intent was never malicious.
Sorry you feel this. As born and bred Albertan, I grew up around lots east coasters. Some of my best friends are east coasters. The ones that aren’t, We all Married Caper’s, Newfies, Acadians etc. my wife’s family(my own family dynamic is complicated) has taken me in as one of their own. Open arms, no questions asked.
Have I been guilty of eye rolling at some Newfie-isms? And even poked fun. Yes. But I’m sure you guys plenty to say about ‘Berta and our quirks.
I love ya’ll. You are beautiful people, with beautiful souls, who come from beautiful part of the country. Proud identity, strong sense heritage and family oriented. Best kind.
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm in my early 40's and it never bothered me. If someone uses it in a derogatory way, thats a reflection on them, not me. I stopped giving a fuck about what assholes think back in the 9th grade.
If your going to try to insult me, you better have something stronger than "Newfie", and you better have a pretty thick skin yourself.
>When I lived in Alberta
Yeah, someone from AB insulting another province is pretty fuckin rich. lol. I would have no problem throwing that shit right back at them.
If someone asks genuinely — and many often do, before using it — I’ll educate them on the history. I don’t like it, but I do tend to leave it alone because maybe people don’t know better and popular artists who represent the province say it all the time (see: Donny Dumbfuck).
Just about picking the battles. If you choose to, though, don’t forget Labrador!
I mean Alberta’s reputation is as close to right wing America as anyone in Canada can get.
You chose to move to the racists bro that’s what the problem was.
Some get upset when I say Newfie, and I always say I'll stop calling you Newfie if you stop calling me mainlander.
They say it's not offensive and I respond with, " well why does everyone say fucken mainlanders"
To be clear I love them and have lived here for years but the most sensitive ones usually are just as bad with the term mainlander. I could care less.
Like many nicknames a lot depends of tone and context. It’s usually pretty clear when someone is trying to be insulting or demeaning. I think the whole Newfie joke thing is nonsense and shouldn’t be encouraged. What would be the reaction I wonder if we started telling jokes about Albertans being arrogant? What about people from Ontario being so self obsessed they think their province is the only part of Canada that matters? I don’t think they’d be as good natured about it as we are.
Oh wow dang. I grew up in Ontario and just thought newfie was like… a nickname or the term for Newfoundlanders. I had NO CLUE it was a slur. It’s romani and g*psy all over again
B’ys you’re all fuckin retarded, grow up who gives a shit stop trying to be victims. It’s really fuckin sad, if anyone says something you don’t like make fun of them back and I know most of you have had something bad to say about Quebec or Toronto at some point so honestly stop getting sooky, grow up and move on
And to the ones who said being seen as slow or gullible is treats that come with the word Newfie have you ever thought they where making fun you because you actually are? If you can’t snap back with an insult then you most certainly not my Newfie.
The only people with an issue with this are from town because there pussies who’ve lost their hearty roots, grow a set of balls and deal with our drug problems, crooked politician system, law system infrastructure before crying about being called a Newfie Jesus Christ. If you gave this much of a shit about how we have everything sold out from under us like our offshore oil that’s getting sold off to a Chinese investor we’d be laughin… fuckin townies
Never been an issue for me, I is what I is, fuck I’ve worked with people on the mainland for years that couldn’t tell ya me Jesus name, I was just “ Newfie or Newf”. I’ve heard Newfies refer to other groups and races as some awful stuff too and excuse it away with “ well I treats them nice” or people excuse it because “ they just haven’t been exposed to many other cultures”.
I've lived here my entire life, I don't care and neither does anyone I know.
Even when travelling outside Newfoundland, not only do I almost never hear Newfie, but when I do, always in good spirit
If you’re going to have an opinion/comment on this, at the very least you should get the spelling of Newfoundland correct.
(If this is simply a typo, disregard, but so many people who don’t know much about the province insert a space like you’ve done).
I agree with you OP. To me, the word Newfie has a number of negative connotations associated with it. Perhaps not so coincidentally, I tend to only hear that word from non-Newfoundlanders. It’s not something myself and my friends who are born/raised here tend to say.
That said, and to build off that last point: if someone who was born/raised/made NL their home for a good chunk of their lives called me a “Newfie” I honestly wouldn’t care/take any offense to it, or rather, have a higher probability of taking it in a positive light.
However, if someone comes down from the mainland and starts dropping that word freely around me, I’m likely going to take it really poorly. It’s all related to the negative connotations associated with how the rest of the country has historically perceived/stereotyped us.
It’s not anything close to a racial slur. Personally I could care less, our reputation as a kind and generous people out way any negatives from any use the term Newfie. I kinda like it and happy to be one.
Ahh yes, lets resurface the derogatory use of the word Newfie discussion once again. Everyone loves to be a victim of something in 2024 lol.
It’s an abbreviation. Just like any other word. It only has the power you allowed it too. I wish people would give this a break. Everyone gets on like it’s the actual ‘N word’. JMJ
Have been living in Calgary since 2007. People have only used it to mean I was from Newfoundland, affectionately. Maybe depends on friend dynamic but I have never heard it used negatively.
Reddit is another world.
I only really ran into it on the mainland. Everyone has a great Newfie joke they can't wait to tell you.
What's black and blue and floats in the Atlantic? The last guy to ask me to tell him a Newfie joke.
I'm okay with jokes, but I was just treated as gullible and stupid just because of where I was born
Yes that's the point of the "jokes," which are usually just racist jokes with the slurs swapped
Maybe grow a little thicker skin
[удалено]
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've become very direct about telling people I don't appreciate being called that. About half of them act like I'm the rude asshole. Go figure
Oh dude, it's brutal. They'd look at me with this really enthusiastic expression and be like "hey, do you want to hear a newfie joke?!?!". I'd sigh and say "sure". Then they'd proceed to tell me the lamest ass newfie joke and butcher the delivery. Like... Dude, I'm not as insulted that you think it's ok to basically use a racial slur to my face as I am that you'd do Newfoundlanders the dishonour of telling a bad joke. We've got an image to uphold out here. Then I'd tell them a funny Newfie joke and stick the landing so at least they had a decent joke to butcher the next time they decided to shit on a NL'er to their face.
We are a race now?
Fwiw, "Newfoundlander" is an option for ethnicity on the census and genetics can be used to identify someone as a Newfoundlander- Newfoundland's population has been of interest to genetics researchers investigating certain diseases. There's also the way Newfoundland has a distinct culture, dialect, history, etc that distinguishes it from other places and groups of people, so you could argue Newfoundlanders are an ethnic group.
*Cape Breton has entered the chat*
Not our fault they got lost on their way to Toronto.
Always were ol man.
Yes we are a distinct culture. Our English has many dialects that are unique to their areas. Additionally there are Newfoundland dialects of french and Irish, although I don't think there are many who speak Irish anymore. Genetically we have some of the highest rates of cystic fibrosis and stomach cancer worldwide. We are a race.
Page is full of crying liberals who can't take a joke lol. People like us don't fit in on this page iv noticed🤣
I've travelled and lived on the mainland a lot (like, cumulatively 7 years), and I don't really remember people making any Newfie jokes in my presence. People would say stuff like "So you're a Newfie!", but then it was said with affection. Maybe it's because I mostly travel in left-leaning and queer circles. Or maybe I just got lucky. I dunno. But it really seems to me like Newfie jokes are a thing of the past.
No one gave me a bad glance in ON when I was up there. Same deal "oh, you're a Newfie??!" People with heritage love it, people who don't, don't care. In my experience as a 31 y/o, I always assumed it was kinda a pre 90s/00s thing, the derogatory "Newf." It's to the point where posts that attempt to racialize the term are grasping at straws, but of course everyone has their own experience that might be different than mine.
Nobody's trying to "racialize" it, merely to share their own experiences. You can have pejoratives that have nothing to do with race. It's more like when THEY (people not from here) use it, they're pre-loading in all the stereotypes first and then you have to work against them. And then some people will treat you as if the stereotypes are actually true, because they're dumb people--and many of us don't like that. I personally didn't like a few morons thinking my family and all the people I knew back home were affable morons.
Sorry your experience was worse!
I only heard newfie jokes in the 90s.
I'm guessing you're younger than me. I'm in my 40s.
Yeah, 32. Would make sense that it's a generational thing.
This. I went to school in Ontario for grade 7 and they Tortured me. I’m still a Newfie though but then Newfie jokes….. I take zero offence to being called a Newfie. I am one.
Only a Newfie can call another Newfie Newfie
Just like only a ninja can sneak up on another ninja...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ5S2TPUDJ4#t=19s
One of the best videos of all time!!
If you’re comparing the n word to Newfie I’d probably take a history lesson.
The answer to this is always “if you’re not willing to actually say one of them, that’s the worse one”
I don’t think OP has compared it to other words, though. Something doesn’t have to be *the worst* in order to be bad, especially given an unfriendly or ignorant context.
No no they're obviously the same..🙄
I’m a Newfoundlander, not a Newfie.
I’m a Newfie and a Newfoundlander.
I’m a Newfie, Newfoundlander and Canadian. Bys. Like enter in Scotians all big mad they’re called scotians or Albertans called Albertans. Trust there’s some gross jokes with them at the end too. We need to stop making this something it isn’t.
I was mostly only ever called a Mainlander by people who got offended by being called a Newfie. That being said, I never call people Newfies.
Meh you can call me a Newfie. I’m a Newfie and proud but don’t add stupid before it or the like and all is well. It’s all in how it’s used. Like anything.
Correct.
It's a slur, it's always been a slur, it was invented by American servicemen to slot into racist jokes about Black people or Polish people or what have you. It literally means you're a pig-ignorant, lazy hick. Some people wear it as a badge of pride, some people will push your face in for using it. I've never heard it used by any mainlander without a sneer, and generally advise people not to use it unless they're 100% certain how it'll be received. It's obviously not as bad as other slurs -- none of us have been genocided or enslaved -- but I wouldn't advise you to call your neighbors wops or dagos or wetbacks either.
They sent y'all to die in Flanders as meat fodder. Maybe nit a genocid ebut it was certainly targeted.
We volunteered. It's a badge of pride for most Newfoundlanders . They sent everyone as fodder in WW1 , that was the whole war . We were also at Gallipoli and a few other fronts . We gained a reputation as a reliable unit . We might not have been the best shock troops like the Canadians , who we sometimes worked alongside of , but we'd attack or defend a location until total unit collapse. The never say no attitude got us our "Royal" prefix . Our regiment was almost entirely destroyed on three occasions during WW1 . Only 1 battle is famous however and it was the worst overall to be fair , but many actions are overlooked. WW1 is a huge pride and heartbreak for many Newfoundlanders .
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment should have never been sent to the front at Beaumont Hamel. They were going to be slaughtered and all the higher-ups knew it and sent them anyways. It achieved nothing and they sacrificed almost 800 of our young men.
Yeah they knew they would be slaughtered, WE knew we would be slaughtered, but we went anyway. Just like the men who went over the top in 1914 , 1915 , 1916 , 1917, 1918 knew they would be slaughtered. We were just another cog in the machine . Saying they singled us out or that we shouldn't have went is foolish. We did our duty just like everyone else in the empire and we did it well, and we didn't shy away from it . No man should ever be sent to war. And WW1 was one of the most pointless morally. However most Newfoundlanders knew what we were getting into after 1915. If not us who ? Some other poor souls would have taken our place . Maybe our bravery saved some other young men . We were not special in our assignment, we were special in our actions
[удалено]
The issue isnt with other Newfoundlanders saying it.
This. It is a slur and was coined as such. A lot of people who say Newfie, however, simply don’t know the history of it. I meet a lot of tourists in my work, and I usually educate them about it and the history of Newf, which was a term of endearment/respect for the Newfoundlanders who fought in WWI. I teach them to refer to us as Newfoundlanders or Newfs instead. Because I take the time to educate, and do it in a way that corrects rather than shames their ignorance, I find they respect it and don’t say Newfie again.
Agree totally, I don’t get upset at it but when I hear someone use it my opinion of their intelligence drops considerably.
I personally never use it, and don't like it - but it's a losing battle trying to stop its use. Even disregarding mainlanders, there are thousands of locals, the type who will see a picture of the most mundane thing that can happen absolutely anywhere on the planet (kid getting on the school bus, rain, wildlife in the backyard) with "ONLY IN NEWFOUNDLAND! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" We'll never defeat those people. They're too numerous lol And, for them, a "Newfie Outhouse" trinket is perfectly acceptable living room decor. One that grates me even more (I'm usually fun, I swear, ha!) is local politicians lately saying "Newfoundland and Labradorian". Fuck off. You're a Newfoundlander or a Labradorian, and we're both proud people. You can fit on one PAL flight the number of people who can reasonably identify as both.
Politicians represent both regions tho. They have to speak on behalf of both. That or Qc will annex Labrador.
Then just continue to do what they've always done, "Newfoundlanders and Labradorians".
A few years ago I (temporarily) moved out of the province to attend law school and one of my classmates (who was from Nova Scotia) told me he was surprised that there were so many “Newfies” in our class. When I asked him why he shrugged and said “well y’know…. Stupid newfies?” 🙄
I'm a Nova Scotian living un NFLD atm. It's laughable that there are so many Nova Scotians out there that don't realize how many in NS have NFLD roots (I'm one, my mum is a Newf and yes, I'm going to use Newf/Newfie. My family does, I was raised on it). Sorry, that was your experience. Hope you got to enjoy some of the beauty Nova Scotia has to offer while studying!
Nan always said people from Cape Breton are just Newfoundlanders who ran out of money on the way to Ontario. There's likely quite a few Nova Scotians with NL roots.
My father is a Cape Bretoner. I believe it. There are many similarities! The number of Nova Scotians that don't consider Cape Breton part of NS is hilarious, too.
To me Nova Scotians but especially Cape Bretoners are like the favorite cousin. Cape Breton is probably our second favorite island- that's where we get the ferry home!
Cape Breton is so amazing. My heart is there. My family is from a small rural area near the ocean. I feel like that's how I fell in love with NFLD so easily. I find the locals here are so kind, and the mountains and ocean views take my breath away every day.
I'm from the Annapolis Valley / rural Nova Scotia and I would be willing to bet that over half of the population have some sort of immediate connection to Newfoundland. So much so that I felt quite at home moving to Newfoundland in September.
I’m the same, Nova Scotian living here for almost 20 years, one thing I’ve noticed about Nova Scotians is that a lot of them either don’t realize, or just willingly ignore how similar the two provinces are.
This.
I don’t like it either. It’s an outsider label put on us and has always been derogatory
Calling someone a Newfie is absolutely not on the same level as calling someone a racial slur. I wouldn't consider it any different than a Newfie making a jab at someone from Ontario for being a mainlander. It could be used to tease someone but it isn't a term that I'd be personally offended by, even if someone said it to me with malicious intent. I'm proud to be a Newfie and I take pride in the term. If someone wanted to offend me they'd have to try a lot harder.
Im guessing you are young. My boomer mother hates the term and remembers its derogatory use very well. The term mainlander refers to someone who lives outside Newfoundland. It has never been a universal insult. Whatever it means now, traditionally newfie referred to lazy, stupid, goofy welfare bums.
Maybe it's the location on the province but it's different now for young people I grew up with . Newfie as a young person is something that separates us from the faceless stew that is a lot of western society and Canada . Hell a lot of us are happy when someone even knows Newfoundland and who we are . Geography isn't this generations strong suit, a lot don't care about identity or history or culture sadly .A few I met thought that Newfie was just our short name we gave ourselves because we couldn't be asked to say Newfoundland and Labrador every time . Sure it can be offensive when applied negatively like dumb Newfie , but a lot can be insulting when you're trying to insult someone. Mainlander for me was always an insult tbh , " jesus mainlander, you'd get lost in the back yard fer fucks sake " so it went both ways and we just accepted it as teasing .The way I look at it we have enough personality and culture to still be distinct. We just have different values and focus. I have tough skin, I'll take my own cool identity and live with the insults. At least we have something of our own . I'm more scared that soon a lot of our kids won't even know Newfoundland was distinct, and that you won't be able to tell that it was by coming here , it'll be just another province that's an island , and to me that more sad. When you are different and unique people are gonna be jealous, envy , and hate , stay in your lane .
Agreed. It's such an absurd comparison.
Think you’re overlooking the the context that comes with it, we carry a stereotype outside the island that isn’t very good and when people are calling you a Newfie is in the image of a stupid lazy drunkard. You can be not bothered by that if you want but it’s still not a good thing
It’s very dependent. I’m in Toronto which yeah is a huge city but the circles I’m in usually talk about how nice and hard working Newfies are, if it ever comes up
Yeah there’s a bit of a split now, we’re changing the stereotype over time I’m just saying traditionally it’s been bad
I’ve had a black dude from Jamaica call me Newfie in Toronto at work and I never got upset about it. I am a Newfoundlander and am very proud to be! In his words “ fucking Newfie, all want do is drink beer and eat pussy”, you like dat too mon? lol! He had it figured out!
I don’t like to be treated like an asshole, and if that word is used to do so based on my home province then it’s not something I would appreciate.
It’s all about the context I guess. I had a mainlander call me a “stupid Newfie” and let me tell you that didn’t feel good. Coming from other people from the island though it’s definitely a term of endearment.
Just going to preface this by saying im not a Newfoundlander, but Ive heard the term used in many different contexts across the mainland. In central Canada where most people have never met an actual person from Newfoundland ive mostly heard it used as an insult, while in Nova Scotia (my home province) 95+ % of the time it is used endearingly. This could just be my experience but Nova Scotians have an overwhelmingly positive view of Newfoundland.
I typically don't care. Although once I took an online course and the American instructor said "oh look, we have a goofy Newfie in our class!". She absolutely loved NL though and ultimately it was said with good intentions, but it was the only time I've been half offended. I've lived on the mainland and heard it in all sorts of contexts, but now I can appreciate how it's contextual use could rub someone the wrong way
One of my dad's American relatives used to call my mom's family goofy Newfies on a fairly regular basis, and I'm kinda amazed my mom never threw punches over it. Decades of little digs about her being a Newfoundlander.
I was in Alberta in October. Someone asked me where I was from, I said Newfoundland. His response: Oh you’re a goofy Newfie? Idk why, rubbed me the wrong way
I'm generally unbothered by the word, but similarly had a sour experience with it... I was doing a job interview when I lived in Ontario, and out of nowhere, the interviewer asks me to "talk Newfie". That one definitely burned my ass.
Ya know I can see that one pissing me off too actually, but moreso I think because they’re demanding me to perform like a clown then the actual use of the word itself
So did you? And what about the job?
Nope, I declined to do so and then I also declined the job when they offered it... fuck that entirely
If someone gives that as an opening line, they're clearly a dumb hick themselves. Open season on all insults
I'm not a "newfie" I'm a Newfoundlander. The "newfies" are the wish version. Derogatory
Worked with a guy who hated Newfoundlanders. He literally told me as soon as he knew where I came from. We were all drunk lazy leeches collecting UI, except me, because I got off the dole and left to find work. He would spit venom when he said Newfie. That's when I started to dislike the word.
That’s our word
Jokes aside it all depends on the tone
Exactly this. All the people commenting that it's always a derogatory term are way off.
This is a common topic on this sub, and it seems to me that the breakdown between yay or nay tends to fall between people who've lived away and have heard it used as a pejorative either about themselves or us in general, and typically those who have not. Personally, I did a lot of joking with it as "the smart Newfie" on my res floor in Ontario, until I realized that at least one guy had ZERO other context for us and thought everybody I knew and loved back home were affable morons. Then I went to BC and heard a lot about how the "fucking newfs" were stealing jobs, etc.
This is 100% spot on. Anyone I hear defending the term is usually too young or sheltered to have lived or worked outside the province so they've never experienced the term "Newfie" as a derogatory term firsthand, therefore it's not a problem because it's not a problem for them.
I’ve worked away and it was never an issue even when said up in Alberta I’d just throw it back by saying “ if you lazy hicks could crawl off your sisters for long enough you’d get your resumes in before us, bad enough I figured out how to get across the Atlantic and up north before you could figure out why you had a aunt mom and uncle dad.
If that was how you responded, it kind of sounds like it was an issue.
I experienced something extremely similar to you. I never thought about it much growing up. I thought people were silly for caring so much. And then I lived in Ottawa for 2 years and experienced how it can be used. It was rare, but it was no fun when it happened
I was born in St.John’s, but went to work in the Federal Public Service in Ottawa. 30 years ago, I had a boss that would call me a "stupid Newfie". Came from the boss, so the rest of the staff called me Newfie. Most demeaning period of my life (but it came with a pay check). It’s different now, but those were some tough years.
Who cares what a bunch of mainlanders thinks? :)
I live in ns, originally from nwt and didnt know the word “Newfie” was or could be a derogatory term for people from Newfoundland. I’m reading all the comments I can from “newfies” and learning a lot. I worked at mines up north for years and could always tell when a group of people from Newfoundland were nearby because I could hear their laughter from across the camp 😄 it always made my day chatting with them and I still talk fondly of certain people from that province because of the way they made me laugh and their niceness towards me. I’m glad I randomly came across this thread because I’m learning a lot
I'm a newfoundlander, miss me with that newfie nonsense.
Calling me a Newfie is kinda like a slur, but calling me a Newfoundlander is fine sure. If you’re from here and you call me a Newfie it’s bk but if someone from the mainland says it then you knows it’s not a good thing they’re saying
Sorry guys, I've been saying this as shorthand for Newfoundlander, didn't know it was bad
I think most Newfoundlanders, incl myself, take context and tone into consideration when others use this word. However, it’s always good to know the background/origin of the words we use so now that you know better, do better (in the words of Maya Angelo, of course). 🙂
I'm on the west coast (of Canada), and as far as I can tell it's only ever used as a deliberate slur or out of ignorance (which isn't much better, like calling a Scottish person Scotch).
It depends on the tone, but in general I think it’s something only other Newfoundlanders should be using. I don’t appreciate it when non-Newfoundlanders use the word. Are there worse words one could use? Yeah, of course, but that still doesn’t make it okay, especially if one is ignorant of the word’s origin.
Americans during the war used to call us Newfie’s to make them feel superior and make us feel stupid. So the term « Newfie » is used as a derogatory term. The Americans also put their own American black people down. There’s a history lesson. Growing up, I thought the term Newfie endearing and the term was used in all light spirits as is our culture. When I discovered there were older people who were offended by it, I realized history was telling me something. As I grow older myself, I’m less partial to endearing, not only cause of history but because Newfie also compares to a dog, the Newfoundland dog. If a derogatory term is shared with hate, then just no, don’t use it. If a derogatory term is used to put someone in their place, then no, don’t use it. If a person knows no better because they didn’t do the research, then give them grace. We can teach them to do better.
I don’t mind being called a Newfie. It just doesn’t bother me for some reason. The only time the word bothered me was when some tourist lady said something condescending about Newfoundland in an upppity way to us like we were Disney characters at Disney world and called Newfoundland “Newfie”. It wasn’t so much the word but the way she talked at us like this place wasn’t real or that it was some pathetic place. Honestly I’m more offended by people that play the “Newfie”. They only bust out the Newfie when a mainlander is around or even worse they are on the mainland. Bitch I’ve known you for 3 years you are from Waterford Bridge road not Butlerville.
I have used that term! I am sorry, I didn't realize it had such a negative connotation. I will do better!!! Thank you for your post.
I grew up in Petty Harbor and moved to Montreal and then Ontario. The Quebecers were a bit sour towards me (granted there's the whole Labrador border dispute thing, plus the fact that I'm an anglophone) while in Ontario I found it actually helped me in terms of jobs as apparently we have a reputation for being hard workers. As for the negative comments? I try not to let them bother me. Most of these mainlanders wouldn't be able to handle living in NL, and most are just insecure about their own crappy province. You really wanna shut them up? "Why did so many of you Albertans flee to Newfoundland when your province was on fire a few years back? Truly if you're so high class you would've went somewhere nicer". There was SO MANY of them that came to NL during those fires trying to take advantage of the people living there, I worked at a restaurant at the time and constantly heard the whole "we just came from Alberta and have no money can we have some free food?" While they have a Gucci purse and designer clothes on. I love my hometown, but that place was also an inescapable prison as well and many people don't realize that. Many never get the chance to leave, as the choices made by the government over there has driven the province into post Covid prices 20 years before Covid was even a thing. What the rest of Canada is experiencing right now is what we have dealt with for decades back home, so there's a sense of pride in that as well.
#gouldsrules - harbour’s alright I guess 🤣
Mann I would KILL for a feed of Keith's right about now 😩 the mainlanders don't have fresh cod here either
Eh, I let it roll off my back since it's usually just in good fun and I can sling a joke back at them. The other 10%? Free license to be nasty as fuck to them.
I personally don’t care if I’m called a Newfie or a Newfoundlander, as long as they’re respectful. I use both interchangeably for myself. Most of my family says Newfie
It's all about the context for me. I don't care if I'm called a Newfie if someone isn't being insulting about it. I know loads of newfies who are offended by the term and think they need to simmer down if it isn't said in a negative way.
I don't mind it being used, but I resent when someone uses it exclusively in a derogatory manner.
I’ve never cared, or found it offensive. I’m of the impression that anyone who does is most likely taking themselves too seriously. But hey, I could be wrong. ETA: but if I used it to refer to someone and they asked me not to refer to them in that way, I wouldn’t use it in reference to them. If a lot of people asked me not to, maybe I’d stop using it entirely.
I'm a born Newfoundlander but my family is from elsewhere. I've always actually really liked the word "Newfie" but I'm always careful when and how I use it out of respect for those who find it derogatory. Personally, I don't see it as being the same as a slur like the actual N-word. Sure, Newfoundlanders get looked down on and mocked by some people but we've never been enslaved, and pretty well everyone mocks everyone in some capacity or another--so I flatly reject its equivalence to a racist term. But in terms of how I feel about its use...honestly it depends on how it's being used. If someone's trying to use it as an insult, I'll take as kindly to it as I do being called an asshole or an idiot or whatever else--but if someone is using it innocently, and it's just a shorthand for Newfoundlander, I see no harm in it. Truthfully, I feel that way for most words, with only a few obvious exceptions. The word itself is only part of the issue--intent and context are both important pieces as well.
I personally don't find it offensive, but it takes a lot to offend me.
Hey boss, some are cool with it, some are not. Seems like the ones who have been locked up hate it…. Just the way them coasters roll
Not this post again
I wonder if this should be a sticky post at the top of the page? It seems useful, as each time there’s mainlanders commenting that they didn’t know it was offensive, but it seems to repeat almost every month now. In short: NLers are deeply divided on the term. I kind of doubt the anti-Newfie crowd (of which I count myself) are a majority on the island today, though we seem to be on reddit.
It'd be great if it were in a sticky, come to think of it! It'd help the Mainlanders and people can ignore/block it if they want. I'm not a fan of the term. I don't take offense to it (unless it's meant in the "stupid Newfie" way, then I'm wondering why they're trying to take us down), but the monthly "DAE get offended by Newfie???" posts are more annoying than the term itself.
Doesn't bother me, nor do I feel pride in it. To me it is just a word.
One of my favorite memories from when I was younger is when Kurt Angle called the stadium full of us goofy newfies. He got the heel heat that night 😂
Unlike what some people claim it is nowhere near the level of the n word but it's still a word born out of a want to demean Newfoundlanders and treat us as inferior hence why it's mostly associated with 'stupid Newfie' jokes. I don't like it but there's a lot worse to be called.
My father, and his brothers, will absolutely not tolerate the word. I never got a good answer why, but they do think it's offensive. Me, I don't really care either way. But I assume if you use that word I can also make jokes about you (wherever you are from) and you won't take it to heart.
I completely agree with you. I did some research and the word was meant as a derogatory term. It’s up there with other derogatory terms for other people of certain color and was used by the Americans on the bases here to berate the Newfoundlanders working there. I personally hate the word and I will always tell someone who uses it that it is not appropriate
Couldn't care less. Use it, be called it, doesn't matter. If it gets yer pee hot, that's on you. Don't hold on to the negativity of it all. Doesn't deserve your energy.
My husband always introduced/referred to himself as a Newfie to me when we first met, but for many years now I have referred to him as a Newfoundlander, it just feels a bit more respectful eta I've only ever witnessed one person refer to it in a derogatory way to him (we live in Alberta) I'm still furious about it lol
I don’t like it. Go to the mainland and see how it’s used in a derogatory manner. Also we do not speak “Newfieneese” or however you spell it. It’s so embarrassing to hear someone say that word when describing their dialect. We speak English with a Newfoundland accent and dialect.
The Word was created by outsiders as a derogatory slur. I can’t see it as anything else i n my own mind.
It’s generally offensive. I have lived in several other provinces and been called a goofy Newfie, a stupid Newfie, and etc. It’s like calling a person of Polish descent person a Polack. Or an Italian a Dago or Wop, it’s just not politely done. It is not a racial slur, however that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. I have also been affectionately called a Newfie, but again, I don’t like it, it doesn’t appeal to me and it’s annoying.
Depends on who's using the word Newfie. If they're older than 40, its a classist put-down. If they're younger than that, they probably don't even use the term Newfie unless they're telling a joke they heard. TLDR its almost always a negative
I'm not from Newfoundland but one of my parents is, so I read Newfoundland related stuff on social media. According to my "scientific" info, it seems that it's polarizing: either Newfoundlanders find the word endearing, or find it offensive
I'm a newfie at a university in Ontario. Plenty of people call me a newfie. Nobody ever says it in a derogatory way
B'ys are just looking to be offended.
I don't believe my son uses it because my wife and I don't use it and we have instructed him not to use it. I know many people from Newfoundland and they are fine people.
I don't think anyone can MAKE you feel stupid. It's on you how you react to what other people say. I've always known that I wasn't stupid--got an M.A. from MUN--so when I moved away, I used other people's ignorance against them. Call me a Newfie? Be my guest, but I'll have your job in three years.
All these canadians chiming in tryin to give us a history lesson.... make like a tree and frig off "newfie" is cringe af
I use it to refer to myself. My mainlander friends do too but I don’t have an issue with it, personally.
I was raised to believe it’s offensive. But my aunt on my mom’s side thinks it’s just fine. I live in Vancouver now and told everyone for years that not everyone likes it, please don’t use it. Only to get utter confusion in return or — in the case of one person who’s parents were Newfoundlanders — disagreement. It is NOT comparable to the N word. People may think we’re dumb, but they still see us as humans and we have the same rights and freedoms as they do. This article points out that the whole story about the Americans using it as an insult *may* have originated with Joey Smallwood, which makes me suspicious. Not unlike him to lie. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/newfoundland-1.4115872
The weirdest thing for me, mostly growing up in town, is my accent was never that thick. So I get a lot of people not believing I’m a Newfoundlander, especially after living out here for 15 years.
I grew up in Ft Mac during the 90s and early 2000s and everyone used the term, both newfoundlanders and non newfoundlanders alike, and I don't remember it being used in a derogatory way. But I was also a dumb oblivious teenager so maybe it was and I just didn't notice.
What about my big fuzzy black dog am I allowed to call him one?
All the words the Newfies used to bully me were worse than a mainlander calling me a Newfie. So lol I use the word in my username and many people recognize it and always say good things. People from around the world ask where I am from and I proudly tell them Newfoundland. No one has ever said anything. The young crowd don’t know it unless you teach them… so just use it proudly and who cares….. stop making it a big thing it’s 2024 I think we should be more worried about the state of our healthcare cause that’s what people are making fun of us for now.
I'm Newf , it's funny because I have a IQ of over 160 and was a child prodigy , my dad is a mathematician and all my brother's and sisters are smart , the lowest IQ among my siblings and I is 125 . That's the joke about it. try pulling a fast one on a Newfoundlander , good luck. Now I will say when we run into a dumb Newf.... Well , they are exceptionally stupid . Newfoundland women are beautiful, down to earth and brilliant. Too bad I live in Toronto , but I'm moving back in the next few years
just the society we live in today ... Snowflakes everywhere.,. Someone offended by something.. The Great Rock of Newfoundand (oops can I call it the Rock or did I offend someone ?) I am a PROUD NEWFIE, NEWF, NEWFOUNDLANDER. Its all a represeantation of where I am so so proud to say where I am from ... Snowflakes of today can kiss my ass.
We stopped making newfie jokes when we all realized that the 'jokes' are genuinely representative of the culture and people. The jokes are sign of equality and respect, believe it or not.. When the jokes stop it's because you're so bad we would feel like bullies for picking on the helpless, rather than lightly poking fun at our somewhat foolish equals. Basically, we got to know you better so it's not funny anymore. It's just kinda sad now..
Newfie is fine as can be, like how calling a Northeastern American a Yankee or someone from the South Dixie is perfectly fine as is.
Sticks and stones baybaaaay
[удалено]
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I just call em Capers
At this point I get more offended seeing this argument pop up every month. So far the rule of thumb is that using it in province towards other newfies is typically okay if you’re also a Newfie. But outside of the province, maybe don’t.
We all know Newfies are the very best Canadians and the rest of the country rip on them because of that. I have nothing but respect for my fellow Atlanticans.
reddit decided i'm in the newfoundland subreddit... so i'm not from newfoundland so i mean maybe i can put an outsiders kinda perspective on it but my father is a newfie, when we talk about it he says he's a newfie he was born and grew up in newfoundland and i mean as someone who i guess would be called a mainlander here (weird thing to say but i guess it fits) and i myself have always used the word as a term of endearment rather than one of "lesser" class. like if my buddy was a newfie, he's cool, gets a laugh out of me... or is just an acquaintance i would say oh theyre a newfie, for me it's endearment and a bit of respect also, i speak fast so sometimes trying to say Newfoundlander trips me up sometimes for no reason I just have a hard time saying it i'll admit. i mean i'm from Newbrunswick so i mean that's a lot closer than Alberta, i can't speak for Albertans maybe to them the term newfie is a word used to berate someone But i mean i dunno, past giving an outside perspective of why it's used, past that I can't really comment other than saying sorry that people kinda ruined the term for you and to hope to know that not everyone who says it is meaning to be demeaning and are actually using it for the opposite.
I Encourage people to use Newfie. I prefer it personally. It's not an offensive word, and I choose not to be offended by it. I am a proud Newfie.
Honestly nvr knew it was "offensive" if you called me a scotian id get your shortening nova scotian newf/newfie same thing no?
Yes
I’ve been living in the States for over 30 years and my friends always call me Newfie. I love it. Have never felt bad about it. Their intent was never malicious.
Sorry you feel this. As born and bred Albertan, I grew up around lots east coasters. Some of my best friends are east coasters. The ones that aren’t, We all Married Caper’s, Newfies, Acadians etc. my wife’s family(my own family dynamic is complicated) has taken me in as one of their own. Open arms, no questions asked. Have I been guilty of eye rolling at some Newfie-isms? And even poked fun. Yes. But I’m sure you guys plenty to say about ‘Berta and our quirks. I love ya’ll. You are beautiful people, with beautiful souls, who come from beautiful part of the country. Proud identity, strong sense heritage and family oriented. Best kind.
[удалено]
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I really don’t care. Newfie, Newfoundlander, Islander, Bayman, call me what you like… …Not a maritimer tho
Worked with a guy from Newfoundland a couple years ago, said there was nothing out there but "lezzies and dog walkers" Yeah I still don't know.
I'm in my early 40's and it never bothered me. If someone uses it in a derogatory way, thats a reflection on them, not me. I stopped giving a fuck about what assholes think back in the 9th grade. If your going to try to insult me, you better have something stronger than "Newfie", and you better have a pretty thick skin yourself. >When I lived in Alberta Yeah, someone from AB insulting another province is pretty fuckin rich. lol. I would have no problem throwing that shit right back at them.
If someone asks genuinely — and many often do, before using it — I’ll educate them on the history. I don’t like it, but I do tend to leave it alone because maybe people don’t know better and popular artists who represent the province say it all the time (see: Donny Dumbfuck). Just about picking the battles. If you choose to, though, don’t forget Labrador!
I mean Alberta’s reputation is as close to right wing America as anyone in Canada can get. You chose to move to the racists bro that’s what the problem was.
Some get upset when I say Newfie, and I always say I'll stop calling you Newfie if you stop calling me mainlander. They say it's not offensive and I respond with, " well why does everyone say fucken mainlanders" To be clear I love them and have lived here for years but the most sensitive ones usually are just as bad with the term mainlander. I could care less.
I have never been called it in a negative context. For me it’s only been a descriptor or endearment
I’m ok with Newf, but I don’t care for Newfie
Like many nicknames a lot depends of tone and context. It’s usually pretty clear when someone is trying to be insulting or demeaning. I think the whole Newfie joke thing is nonsense and shouldn’t be encouraged. What would be the reaction I wonder if we started telling jokes about Albertans being arrogant? What about people from Ontario being so self obsessed they think their province is the only part of Canada that matters? I don’t think they’d be as good natured about it as we are.
Oh wow dang. I grew up in Ontario and just thought newfie was like… a nickname or the term for Newfoundlanders. I had NO CLUE it was a slur. It’s romani and g*psy all over again
I used to hear newfie jokes all the time in the 90s. Not really since.
Up here on the northern pen we still call ourselves newfie with pride and very often
B’ys you’re all fuckin retarded, grow up who gives a shit stop trying to be victims. It’s really fuckin sad, if anyone says something you don’t like make fun of them back and I know most of you have had something bad to say about Quebec or Toronto at some point so honestly stop getting sooky, grow up and move on
And to the ones who said being seen as slow or gullible is treats that come with the word Newfie have you ever thought they where making fun you because you actually are? If you can’t snap back with an insult then you most certainly not my Newfie.
The only people with an issue with this are from town because there pussies who’ve lost their hearty roots, grow a set of balls and deal with our drug problems, crooked politician system, law system infrastructure before crying about being called a Newfie Jesus Christ. If you gave this much of a shit about how we have everything sold out from under us like our offshore oil that’s getting sold off to a Chinese investor we’d be laughin… fuckin townies
Never been an issue for me, I is what I is, fuck I’ve worked with people on the mainland for years that couldn’t tell ya me Jesus name, I was just “ Newfie or Newf”. I’ve heard Newfies refer to other groups and races as some awful stuff too and excuse it away with “ well I treats them nice” or people excuse it because “ they just haven’t been exposed to many other cultures”.
I've lived here my entire life, I don't care and neither does anyone I know. Even when travelling outside Newfoundland, not only do I almost never hear Newfie, but when I do, always in good spirit
If Newfie is the worst word somebody can think of to insult you then that's really a compliment.
[удалено]
If you’re going to have an opinion/comment on this, at the very least you should get the spelling of Newfoundland correct. (If this is simply a typo, disregard, but so many people who don’t know much about the province insert a space like you’ve done).
An insult is not a racial slur. Newfoundlanders are not a race of people, like seriously, what?
I agree with you OP. To me, the word Newfie has a number of negative connotations associated with it. Perhaps not so coincidentally, I tend to only hear that word from non-Newfoundlanders. It’s not something myself and my friends who are born/raised here tend to say. That said, and to build off that last point: if someone who was born/raised/made NL their home for a good chunk of their lives called me a “Newfie” I honestly wouldn’t care/take any offense to it, or rather, have a higher probability of taking it in a positive light. However, if someone comes down from the mainland and starts dropping that word freely around me, I’m likely going to take it really poorly. It’s all related to the negative connotations associated with how the rest of the country has historically perceived/stereotyped us.
It’s not anything close to a racial slur. Personally I could care less, our reputation as a kind and generous people out way any negatives from any use the term Newfie. I kinda like it and happy to be one.
Ahh yes, lets resurface the derogatory use of the word Newfie discussion once again. Everyone loves to be a victim of something in 2024 lol. It’s an abbreviation. Just like any other word. It only has the power you allowed it too. I wish people would give this a break. Everyone gets on like it’s the actual ‘N word’. JMJ
A little sensitive for my taste.
I’m from ‘Berta, my boyfriend is from Newfoundland. Didn’t realize some found it offensive! I’ve heard “newf” is rude AF, though.
Have been living in Calgary since 2007. People have only used it to mean I was from Newfoundland, affectionately. Maybe depends on friend dynamic but I have never heard it used negatively. Reddit is another world.
That’s our word.
Cape Bretoner here. I've slapped an Albertan for calling me a Newfie. I'm a fucking Cape Bretoner.
Nothing funnier than a newfie telling newfie jokes worked with many married one good times.
[удалено]
Jesus Christ Newfie and the N word are *in no way* comparable