Habit & Routine: English Vocabulary List

(of food or drink) to be consumed by someone

"Not a single drop of alcohol passed his lips."

"Not a single drop of alcohol has passed his lips since he decided to stop drinking five years ago."

to be fully concentrated on the book one is reading, particularly with a lot of interest or enthusiasm

"Nose in a book."

"You'll always find him in the library, with his nose in a book, completely absorbed in the story."

used to refer to a situation in which everything is progressing in a way it should without anything unusual or unexpected happening

"It's business as usual."

"Despite the minor disruption, the office staff returned to their desks, making it business as usual."

used to refer to the act of doing something without thinking about it because one has been doing it for a long time and it has become a habit

"By force of habit."

"He automatically reached for his keys by force of habit, even though he wasn't going anywhere."

used to refer to a person who is engaging in the same dishonest behavior as they previously demonstrated

"Up to old tricks."

"The mischievous cat was caught trying to steal food again, clearly up to its old tricks."

used to refer to someone who always does the same things in the exact same way they did before

"Creature of habit."

"As a creature of habit, she woke up at the same time every morning and followed her strict routine."

a person who spends a lot of time working out or exercising at the gym

"He is a gym rat who works out daily."

"He is a gym rat who works out daily and can bench press over three hundred pounds."

used when describing one's mundane life, in which nothing new or exciting happens

"Another day, another dollar."

"He sighed, looking at his paperwork, and muttered, "Another day, another dollar," resigned to the routine."

a hasty attempt at cleaning or tidying something that does not effectively solve the problem

"Just a cat's lick."

"She gave the dusty table a quick cat's lick with a damp cloth, but it still looked messy."

(of food or drink) to be consumed by someone

"Pass your chips."

"Please pass your chips around so everyone at the table can enjoy them."

(of a particular word or topic) to be said by someone

"Pass your name."

"He hesitated before deciding to pass his name to the authorities regarding the incident."