Biff and whiff, baker’s fog and lu’sknikn, pie social, and milling frolic – these are just a few examples of the distinctive language of Cape Breton Island. This is the first regional dictionary devoted to the island’s linguistic and cultural history. It is a fascinating record of the island’s rich vocabulary, and captures Cape Breton’s social, economic, and cultural life through the island’s language. The Dictionary of Cape Breton English can be read with interest by Backlanders, Bay byes, and those from away alike.

By William J. Davey and Richard MacKinnon