Topic: Let's improve our English!

[Relyana]

What does "all through the thick and the thin" mean ? Could it mean "through good times and bad times" or something like that ? 

[ijm123]

What does "all through the thick and the thin" mean ? Could it mean "through good times and bad times" or something like that ? 

It means exactly that.  Through thick & thin can be swapped with through bad times & good

[Relyana]

Thanks Ian

[Niko]

I have a question about "proper English". I know what it means, so there is nothing problematic in that idiom. But - when I lived there, some people said that the proper English means Oxford English, where as others said. that even more proper is Exeter English. Please tell me which alternative is the right one, or if there is a 3rd alternative ?

Also, is Queen's English closer to Exeter English of Oxford English?

Thank you in advance. 

[ijm123]

Well it all depends on where abouts in the country you are from.  As far as I am aware officially Oxford English is the offical language - simply because the official dictionary of the English language is the Oxford English Dictionary.   The Queen's English is more of an accent than anything else.  Exeter English is again more of an accent.  Studies have shown, however, that the area of the UK where the most grammatically correct English is spoken is actually in Inverness.

Hope this helps you Niko

[Niko]

Well it all depends on where abouts in the country you are from.  As far as I am aware officially Oxford English is the offical language - simply because the official dictionary of the English language is the Oxford English Dictionary.   The Queen's English is more of an accent than anything else.  Exeter English is again more of an accent.  Studies have shown, however, that the area of the UK where the most grammatically correct English is spoken is actually in Inverness.

Hope this helps you Niko

Thank you Ian.  It is really interesting, that the most grammatically correct English is spoken in Inverness, Scotland.  I am sure that they have as good oral skills also in Elgin, which is very close to Inverness.   

[ijm123]

Thank you Ian.  It is really interesting, that the most grammatically correct English is spoken in Inverness, Scotland.  I am sure that they have as good oral skills also in Elgin, which is very close to Inverness.   

That whole North East area of Scotland has very good oral skills

[Niko]

Can you please tell me what is the difference between an author and a writer ? Are for example Agatha Christie and Jane Austen authors or writers? 

[ijm123]

Can you please tell me what is the difference between an author and a writer ? Are for example Agatha Christie and Jane Austen authors or writers? 

They are both authors and writers.  A writer is a person who writes a book, article, or any literary piece, while an author is essentially the person who originates the idea, plot, or content of the work being written.  So often they are the same person .

[Martial]

in pure literary analysis (for those who don't know, i teach literature in uni and am working on my PhD right now), they are not quite the same person !

Jane Austen as a writer is a woman who writes books and lived in the XIXth century, was born in Steventon on December 16th 1775, etc.

Jane Austen as an author is the "idea of a person", regardless of her biography, who has written Sense and Sensibility and Pride and prejudice

is that clear? in a text, we look for the 'author' of the book, but we can also get interested in the 'writer' Jane Austen on a pure history of ltierature aspect