Joke: three Newfoundlanders and three Albertans

A friend of mine from Newfoundland told me this joke:


One morning, three Newfoundlanders and three Albertans were in a ticket counter line at a train station. The three Albertans each bought a ticket and watched as the three Newfies bought just one ticket.

'How are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?' asked one of the Albertans.

'Be watchin and learnin,' answered one of the Newfies.

All six boarded the train where the three Albertans sat down, but the three Newfies crammed into a toilet together and closed the door. Shortly after the train departed, the conductor came around to collect tickets.He knocked on the toilet door and said, 'Ticket, please.'

The door opened just a crack and a single arm emerged with a ticket in hand. The conductor took it and moved on.. The Albertans saw this happen and agreed it was quite a clever idea. Indeed, so clever they decided to do the same thing on the return trip and save some money.

That afternoon when they got back to the station, they bought a single ticket for the return trip and watched, while to their astonishment, the three Newfies didn't buy even one ticket !

'How are you going to travel without a ticket?' asked a perplexed Albertan. 'Be watchin and learnin,' answered the three Newfie boys in unison.

When they boarded the train, the three Albertans crammed themselves into a toilet and the three Newfies crammed into another toilet just down the way. Shortly after the train began to move, one of the Newfies left the toilet and walked over to the toilet in which the Albertans were hiding.

The Newfie knocked on the door and said, 'Ticket, please ..'

I can't speak like a Newfounlander. Here's an example in this video:

Newfoundland English is often humorously called Newfinese.

The term Newfie is also sometimes used though it is sometimes considered pejorative when used by people from outside of Newfoundland.

Newfoundland dialect is not homogenous and can vary markedly from community to community as well as from region to region. This reflects both ethnic origin as well as relative isolation. For many decades Newfoundland had very few roads connecting its many communities. Fishing villages in particular remained very isolated.

 why do people make fun of newfies?


An ethnic joke is a humorous remark relating to an ethnic, racial or cultural group, often referring to a stereotype of the group in question for its punchline.


Some say such stereotypes must contain a grain of truth; research suggests that this is most often not the case.


When talking about ethnic humour, we need make a distinction:
-> humour comes from the inside or the outside or the targeted group.


from the inside humor can be
-> self-mocking
it pushes out the boundaries of acceptable or expected behaviours by making
fun of one or more of the group characteristics known to the insider.

-> Complimentary humour to increase group pride and satisfaction

In contrast, jokes coming from the outside are more likely to be critical or insulting. And even if they are no more critical than insider jokes, they are viewed more negatively

 

Do you consider Ethnic jokes to be offensive and as a form of hate speech?

Do you think Newfoundlanders are an acceptable cultural target?

When does an ethnic, racial or cultural group become an acceptable target for jokes, a punchline?

Some people consider "Newfie" to be a term of endearment while others regard it as a derogatory term.

Have your say!

Here's another example:

A Newfoundland Language Lesson with Mark Critch, Candice Walsh and Travel Yourself