a writer with a 'tin ear' for dialogue [=who writes dialogue that does not sound real]
My wife is a talented musician, but I have a 'tin ear'.
a 'tin' of biscuits/tobacco
(..) Hana, we have discovered a shared plessure, the boy and l. - Arguing about books? - Condensed milk. One of the truly great inventions. l'll get another tin. l didn't like that book either. lt's all about men. Too many men. Just like this house. You like him, don't you? Your voice changes. (..)1996 The English Patient