If Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams is right, the "Newfie joke" is on its way out.

When I first heard William’s statement, I was skeptical.  After all, my father always taught me to listen to what the government says —and think the opposite.

So I decided to follow my instincts.   My plan was simple: investigate the origins of the Newfie joke, the source of its popularity, and its prospects for the future.

I began my journey by seeking assistance from John R. Colombo, a Canadian author who has written more than 200 books, including a new anthology headed for bookstores:  'The Big Book of Canadian Jokes.' 

The first question I shot his way was blunt: is there any truth to the Newfie joke?  No way, Colombo assured me —the Newfie is nothing but a fictional character. 

“The men and women of the province have nothing at all in common with the stereotypical 'dumb Newfie' any more than California blondes are to be confused with 'Val Gals,' " says Colombo.

This confused me (am I part Newfie?).  I needed to delve deeper.

Colombo says the Newfie joke began after World War Two, when an influx of five to ten thousand American immigrants moved to the province.  These more wordly Yankees perceived the locals to be backwards and uncivilized. 

“The locals, the farmers, the fishermen — there was a big difference in the level of sophistication compared to the Americans— and it became common that anytime there was a screw up, the Newfoundlander would be blamed,” says Colombo.

With some background on the joke’s origin, I tried to understand how the Newfie joke became a national phenomenon.

It's evolution, Newfie

My inquiring mind led me to consult a professor of sociology, Dr. Christie Davies, author of 'The Mirth of Nations,' a social and historical study of English-language jokes.

Canadian author John R.Colombo is here to stay - and might even gain a friend.

If there are any “Newfies” reading this, I have to warn you, the next part gets a tad technical.  To a professional folklorist like Davies, Newfie jokes are a species of “stoopnagel,” or a story to do with a group of supposed dolts that exist in a specific society. 

The “stoopnagel” joke is not just a Canadian phenomenon. It can be found in countries around the world.  The English joke about the Irish (and vice versa), the Spanish about the Dialogues, the Bulgarians about the Gabrovos, the Australians about the Tasmanians — and the list goes on and on. 

As Davies astutely points out, there is a common theme with the “stoopnagel” joke, and it has to do with geography.  “There seems to be a distinct pattern where the people at the centre tell jokes about the people on the edge,” he says. 

All this was great, but there were still more questions than answers.  My intuition told me there was more to this story.  After all, I hadn’t heard any Victoria, B.C. jokes lately. 

More than just a funny accent

What was the Newfie joke’s springboard to popularity?  Davies acknowledged what Premier Williams hinted at — the economic hardship of the province compared to the rest of Canada.  Davies says the dire economy was the foundation of the Newfie joke beginning in the 1950s. 

Also, Davies points out, as Newfoundlanders moved west to Ontario, they brought with them their most distinctive feature: their accent. 

“One of the things that strikes outsiders coming to Canada is that one English-speaking province sounds very different,” Davies says, pointing out there is an entire dictionary dedicated to the unique “English” of Newfoundland. 

“This means, if you go to another province, you sound different — almost old-fashioned,” he says.

The source of the Newfie joke, Davies makes clear, is multi-faceted. The economy, a distinctive accent, and geographical position all play into the joke.

All this led me to my final query: will the booming economy lead to the death of the Newfie joke?

For this question, I looked for someone with an inside perspective.  The Newfoundlander I found was Jordan Hough.

Now living in Ontario, Hough’s deep, East coast burr made him almost incomprehensible.  However, with enough focus, I was finally able to decipher Hough’s jargon.

“I get the oil helping us out, but you can’t say the Newfie joke is gone just because we now have some more cash,” Hough chuckles. “It’s hard to imagine oil money changing people’s liking for the Newfie joke — maybe if the province changed its name to anything other than two breeds of dog.”

Yes, it’s true.  The Newfoundlander is a dog.  The Labrador is a dog.  Now if that’s not proof for the future longevity of the Newfie joke, I don’t know what is.

Colombo couldn’t agree more. 

“Let me admit that no compiler could ever produce a book of Canadian jokes without a section devoted to Newfie jokes. They are known right across the country and right around the world,” he says. 

And to make a point as to the far-reaching awareness of the jokes, Colombo tells a story about his time spent down south in the ritzy area of Woodland Hills, California.  While in a supermarket, he was shocked to notice the only sight of Canadiana was a book dedicated to, you guessed it — Newfie jokes. 

The comedians' take on Newfie jokes Capital News Online asks two comedians about their experiences with telling Newfie jokes Requires FlashPlayer

In the end, Colombo assured me what I suspected all along, the Newfie joke is here to stay — and it might even gain a friend.

“Now that Newfoundland and Labrador is the official designation of the province, with its abbreviation "N.L." rather than "Nfld.," perhaps we should begin to talk about Newfie and Labie jokes,” he said. 

Although I must say, "Did you hear the one about the Labie?" just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

With my mission complete, there was still one puzzle I had yet to solve.  Every time I type the word Newfie, the spell-check feature on my computer underlines the word to alert me it doesn’t exist.  I know, through my research, that it does.  After hours of pondering, my only guess is that Premier Williams, in a hasty, desperate attempt to try and see the Newfie joke disappear, has begun to put all those oil revenues to good use.

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