Many other emerging varieties of English possibly face similar challenges in that, in order to ‘qualify’ as a distinct variety, the ‘new’ language needs to have sufficient identifiable features that are unique and expressive of locale, yet too much divergence from Standard English(es) means it runs the risk of becoming unintelligible and compromising of communication. Such a Catch-22 situation makes claims of legitimacy somewhat precarious. However, this risk-taking and pushing of limits could be seen as what has given rise to new varieties in the first place. Such is the quandary in which BNE exists in communion with other local varieties in the region. They are embraced by some, rejected by others and, for the moment, seem to be vacillating somewhere in between, hopefully awaiting the recognition that is their due. Only time will tell what the linguistic future holds, but the current study suggests there is much about which we can be positive. BNE is, to use a locally-inspired metaphor, a rich oilfield that is yet to be fully exploited.