A Newfie and Country Jamboree

Bumper crop of Newfie usage over the weekend...

From Monsters & Critics (from the website: "Monsters and Critics' aim is to provide users with a broad source of entertainment news and reviews as well as coverage of world news, technology, sport and science.") comes this gem. This piece has apparently been making the internet rounds, as it's a repeat from another site, in fact it's the piece that got me keeping track of the word "Newfie" after a break. It would seem Canada's East Coast trail is a sight to behold, the only problem is the Newfies ruinin' everything by showin' up and tellin' jokes and talkin' to ya. If any Newfies out there having been stationing themselves along the trail offering Screech to CFA hikers, I'd sure love to hear from ya.

The 'Newfies,' as Newfoundlanders are sometimes called, will impede a hiker by thoughtlessly engaging him in conversation, offering him Screech - a kind of rum - and telling him jokes.
(June 17 2008, Ole Helmhausen)


Next up, The Halifax Chronicle Herald, from whom you'll be hearing regularly, if memory serves. In their lineup of Atlantic music festivals, the title of one refers to a little known music genre:

Stewiacke River Newfie and Country Jamboree, July 11, 12, Stewiacke River Park Rd. (Exit 11 off 102).
(Mon June 30 2008, Andrea Nemetz)


From the column Scrunchins ("A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia") as published in St. John's broadsheet The Independent comes two mentions: Once in reference to the title of a Ray Guy column from the sixties...

Newfie, Nigger, Frog, or Wop

...and secondly in reference to the iconic politician who was "inspiring" Guy at the time:

How was it that he was allowed to pick on Smallwood — the false newfie god — the way he did?
(Saturday June 28 2008, Ryan Cleary)


And finally from The Telegraph-Journal out of Saint John NB, an article about an Easterner's view of the wine industry (as he puts it) "out west". Statements like these make me want to head out to Alberta to find out what the hell is going on out there, sociologically speaking.

They also sometimes use the term "Newfie" to refer to anyone from Atlantic Canada. I'm less offended by that, as I love Newfies.
(Fri June 27 2008, Craig Pinhey)

Get Rid Of The Newfies

In this week's Independent, editor Ryan Cleary writes about the mainland view of Premier Danny as superhero, and on the possible effect of high fuel prices on rural and suburban Newfoundland. He uses "newfie" twice in the article: first quoting Sean McCann elsewhere in the edition (not online yet), and then possibly to imply that the newfies are the ones who don't stay.

As Séan McCann of Great Big Sea says (see page 17), we'll be fine once we "get rid of all the newfies."

We're almost there. So many newfies moved to Ontario years ago which, come to think of it, may explain that province’s impending have-not status.
(Sat June 21, 2008, Ryan Cleary)