News

You might be a Newfie if . . .

By Times Staff Writer
Published July 10, 2005

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. . . you get at least six correct answers to this trivia quiz. The prize is realizing you have joined an elite and hardy group that enjoys lobster, wide open spaces and its own time zone.

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1. Of course, the province is not just Newfoundland, but rather, Newfoundland and Labrador. Though Quebec vied with Newfoundland over control of Labrador many times, when did the two finally become one?

a. 1820

b. 1865

c. 1927

d. 1933

2. How does the province compare, in size, to the largest of our states?

a. Almost as big as Alaska.

b. Almost as big as Texas.

c. Bigger than California and Texas combined.

d. None of the above.

3. When did Newfoundland - Newfies usually drop the Labrador - join the Canadian Confederation?

a. 1850

b. 1871

c. 1927

d. 1949

4. How many people live in Newfoundland?

a. About 15-million - roughly the same as in Florida.

b. About 5-million

c. About 3.5-million

d. About 500,000

5. At one time, Newfoundland was governed by a commission of three residents, three citizens of Great Britain and, above them, a supervisor appointed by Great Britain. Before this arrangement, what was Newfoundland's government status?

a. Crown colony of Great Britain

b. An independent nation

c. A Canadian territory

d. A Canadian province

6. Give the proper definition of these words or phrases:

a. cross-handed man

b. scrunchions

c. rackets

d. go to couche

7. What is Newfoundland's largest city?

a. St. John's

b. St. John

c. St. Anthony

d. Corner Brook

8. For centuries, Newfoundland has been famous for its commercial fishing of lobster, salmon and cod. Approximately how many metric tons of salmon did the Newfoundland fleet put on the dock last year?

a. 11-million

b. 5-million

c. 3-million

d. None

9. If it is noon in the Tampa Bay area, what time is it in Newfoundland?

a. 11 a.m

b. Noon

c. 1:30 p.m

d. 2 p.m

10. How do the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador split control of the province?

a. They share control equally, with a premier for each.

b. They do not share. The province has just one administration, overseen by one premier.

c. In exchange for the right to join Canada, they agreed to cede control to the government in Ottawa.

d. The provincial government supplies only a highway department and the Mounties, but lets each of its several hundred communities make most other decisions.

11. Newfies are awaiting details on recent reports of the undersea petroleum and gas finds. Meanwhile, about how much are they paying, in U.S. dollars, for a gallon of regular gas?

a. $2.35

b. $2.80

c. $3.25

d. $3.65

ANSWERS

1. c. In 1927, Great Britain's Privy Council made what was the final ruling.

2. d. None. Newfoundland and Labrador total 156,649 square miles. Thus, the province would rank fourth in size behind Alaska, Texas and California. Florida is approximately 65,750 square miles.

3. d. March 31, 1949.

4. d. Current estimate is about 516,000; it was 568,474 in 1991.

5. b. It issued currency and stamps, too.

6. a. Colloquialism for a multitasking person, it refers to a fisherman working a boat by himself, a job that requires at least two people.

b. Pork fat and chopped onions, fried in order to render the fat and then poured over boiled cod and hardtack to flavor it. This dish is "fish and brewis," a staple for fishing families.

c. Nickname for snowshoes, for the resemblance to tennis rackets.

d. Go to bed; the last word is pronounced "coosh."

7. a. St. John's, with a city population of more than 100,000. Estimates are that about 300,000 Newfies live within 100 miles of the east coast harbor, about three-fifths of all the province's residents.

8. d. Commercial fishing of salmon within 200 miles of Newfoundland's coast has been forbidden to Canadians since 1990. Other nations, particularly Spain, Portugal, Russia and China, do fish for cod and salmon - to the anger of Newfoundland's fishermen.

9. c. 1:30 p.m. Canada's other Maritime Provinces are in the Atlantic Time Zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Time, but Newfoundland added a half-hour to Atlantic Time to provide the fishing fleet more daylight. It is the Newfoundland Time Zone.

10. b. There is a single provincial government and one premier - though many Newfies would say that both the federal and provincial governments are putting more of the work and cost of governing on the province's 800 or so cities, towns and villages.

11. d. Converting both currency and liquid measure to U.S. equivalents, about $3.65 for a gallon of regular.

[Last modified July 8, 2005, 11:58:02]