Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it. And that’s no truer of any place than here. Here, with more colourful sayings and expressions than you could shake a stick at. And more wonderful dialects of English than anywhere else in the world. A place that happens to have its very own encyclopedia, and dictionary to boot.

To be sure, the purveyors of standard Webster’s English might find themselves at something of a loss in the face of our many unique turns of phrase, not to mention our penchant for conversing at breakneck speed – getting faster, it would seem, in closer proximity to water.

It’s little wonder, then, that ours is a language that comes with a range of ear-straining understandability. For that we can thank our proud heritage of English, Irish, French, and Aboriginal influences, which have done and still do much to colour the cultural landscape.

A spin up the Cape Shore is like an oratorical jaunt to the Emerald Isle, while folks in other rural areas sound akin to their cockney cousins across the pond. Travel down to Port au Port for a taste of France, and even the supposedly dead language of Gaelic can still be found if you know where to listen.

And because we’re off the beaten track, the multitude of dialects found here has been steadfastly preserved, even if it varies up and down the very same stretch of coast.

One thing, however, is constant, and that’s the character of the people who speak the language. Known to be the friendliest on earth, they are undeniably chock full of quick wit, hospitality, and charm. And that is, if nothing else, universally understood.