Many Newfoundlanders consider "Newfie" a slur first used by American and Canadian military forces stationed on the island.
The term is also associated with jokes from the mid-to-late 20th century that depicted "Newfies" as foolish, in particular when told in Canadian French, leading to a belief in the derogatory nature of the term.
[1][2] During the Second World War, sailors on convoy duty nicknamed St. John's Newfiejohn.
[3] The first edition of the Gage Canadian Dictionary, published in 1983, and the second edition of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, published in 1987, both include usage notes describing the term 'Newfie' as offensive.
[4] In March 2006, an Edmonton police officer was disciplined for using the word Newphie [sic] to describe the apprehension of an individual under the Mental Health Act.