DCHP-2
Newfie joke DCHP-2 (October 2016)
n. — mainland Canada, Ethnicities, informal, derogatory
a joke told at the expense of Newfoundlanders.
Type: 1. Origin — It is not entirely clear when Newfie joke become popular in mainland Canada, though possibly not before Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949 and became more connected, politically and culturally, to mainland Canada. Some evidence suggests that they are the product of the late 1960s or early 1970s (see the 1967 and 1978 quotations). Newfie jokes are often seen as harmless by mainland Canadians and some Newfoundlanders have been known to tell them as well (see, e.g. the 2007 quotation). However, Newfie jokes, like any other 'ethnic' jokes, are also seen as insensitive, aggressive or perhaps just tiresome (see the 2012 and 1987 quotations). The term is most frequent in Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "Newfie joke", which is marked "Cdn", and OED-3, s.v. "Newfie joke", which is described as a joke told "by mainland Canadians".
