INDEX:
1. ways of saying that something usually happens
2. in the same way as things usually happen
3. usual
4. what people usually do
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ UNUSUAL
a situation or behaviour that is not unusual : ↑ NORMAL/ORDINARY
see also
↑ OFTEN
↑ ALWAYS
↑ TYPICAL
↑ HABIT
↑ IN GENERAL
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1. ways of saying that something usually happens
▷ usually/generally /ˈjuːʒuəli, ˈdʒen ə rəli/ [adverb]
▪ I don’t know where Jack is - he’s usually home by this time.
▪ Wolves usually hunt in packs.
▪ What’s come over Jim? He isn’t usually this grumpy.
▪ The sea here is generally calm.
▪ Generally, these small stores do not keep fresh meat or vegetables.
▪ We’re generally finished by about 4:30.
▷ normally /ˈnɔːʳməli/ [adverb]
on most occasions, unless something unusual happens :
▪ The museum isn’t normally as crowded as this.
▪ His normally cheerful face looked sad for a moment.
▷ as a (general) rule /əz ə (ˌdʒen ə rəl) ˈruːl/ [adverb]
use this to say what usually happens :
▪ As a general rule, the police may only enter your house if you invite them in.
▪ We do not, as a rule, provide funds for this type of project.
▷ nine times out of ten /ˌnaɪn taɪmz aʊt əv ˈten/ [adverb]
almost always :
▪ Nine times out of ten I just skip breakfast and have a coffee.
▪ Nine times out of ten, jobs that become vacant are filled from inside the organization.
▷ routinely /ruːˈtiːnli/ [adverb]
if something is routinely done, tested, checked etc, it is usually done as part of the normal process of working, doing a job etc :
▪ The cars are routinely tested for safety and reliability before leaving the factory.
▪ We routinely test patients for high blood pressure and diabetes.
▪ It later emerged that prisoners at the camp were routinely tortured, and many executed.
▷ typically /ˈtɪpɪkli/ [adverb]
in the way that a particular type of thing usually happens, for example what type of person is usually involved, what group something usually affects etc :
▪ Victims of mugging are typically young men in their early 20s.
▪ This disease typically affects young cattle.
▪ Typically, gasoline taxes are used to fund road-building programs.
2. in the same way as things usually happen
▷ as usual /əz ˈjuːʒuəl/ [adverb]
in the same way as things usually happen :
▪ Sam was in a bad mood as usual.
▪ There will be discounts available for students as usual.
▪ As usual, there was far too much food.
▷ as ever/as always British /like always American informal /əz ˈevəʳ, əz ˈɔːlweɪz, laɪk ˈɔːlweɪz/ [adverb] spoken
use this to say that something is not surprising because it is what almost always happens :
▪ Jim was the first to arrive, as always.
▪ As ever, her work has been excellent this term.
▪ When he arrived he stank of whiskey and tobacco, like always.
▷ as per usual /ˌæz pəʳ ˈjuːʒuəl/ [adverb] British spoken
say this when you are annoyed because something bad that usually happens has just happened again :
▪ I’m in trouble at work, as per usual.
▪ She was three hours late as per usual.
▪ He said he’d phone, but he won’t. As per usual!
3. usual
▷ usual /ˈjuːʒuəl, ˈjuːʒ ə l/ [adjective]
use this about something that usually happens or something that someone usually does or uses :
▪ She was sitting in her usual chair by the fire.
▪ All the usual people were there.
colder/better/slower etc than usual
▪ It seemed colder than usual in the house.
▪ We’ve sold more than the usual amount of coal this year.
it is usual for somebody to do something
▪ Is it usual for him to be so late?
▷ normal /ˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective]
someone’s normal behaviour or habit is what they usually do in a particular situation :
▪ She went to bed at her normal time of eleven o'clock.
▪ It used to be normal practice to live at home with your parents until you got married.
normal for
▪ Don’t worry if Mike seemed rude - that’s normal for him.
be normal for somebody to do something
▪ It’s normal for young children to misbehave sometimes.
▷ be the norm /biː ðə ˈnɔːʳm/ [verb phrase]
to be the thing that most people do or think :
▪ Going to church on Sunday used to be the norm in most households.
▪ In the building industry, short-term employment contracts are the norm.
▪ Smoking is no longer the norm but the exception.
▷ customary /ˈkʌstəm ə riǁ-meri/ [adjective]
usually done on a particular occasion or at a particular time of year :
▪ We were presented with the customary bottle of champagne.
it is customary to do something
▪ It’s customary to kiss the bride at a wedding.
as is customary
▪ As is customary, you will be paid a fixed fee for the job.
▷ routine /ˌruːˈtiːn◂/ [adjective]
something that is routine is done as part of the normal process of working, doing a job etc :
▪ A major electrical fault was found during a routine safety inspection.
▪ The hospital carried out some routine tests.
▪ Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? It’s just routine.
▷ same old /ˈseɪm əʊld/ [adjective phrase only before noun] informal
use this about something that you have seen or heard many times before :
▪ They always come up with the same old excuses for why they can’t deliver on time.
▪ They still sing the same old songs, but the audiences love it!
the same old story
use this when it is annoying that the same thing always happens
▪ It’s always the same old story. They’re two or three goals up, and then they relax and end up losing.
▷ stock /stɒkǁstɑːk/ [adjective only before noun]
stock phrases, questions, answers, excuses etc are the ones that people usually use - use this about phrases, questions etc that have been used so often that they are no longer effective :
▪ Her speech contained all the stock phrases about increasing productivity and reducing costs.
▪ The same questions seem to be asked every time, and he gives his stock answers.
4. what people usually do
▷ habit /ˈhæbɪt, ˈhæbət/ [countable noun]
something that you do regularly without thinking about it, because you have done it so many times before :
▪ My father had some rather strange habits, like reading the newspaper in the bath.
be in the habit of doing something
▪ She was in the habit of taking a walk in the early evening.
not be in the habit of doing something
▪ I’m not in the habit of going to bars during the day.
get into the habit of doing something
▪ He had got into the habit of phoning home during the day.
▷ routine /ruːˈtiːn/ [countable noun]
a series of things that someone usually does in the same order, especially when it is the same every day :
▪ His routine consisted of work, dinner, then TV and bed.
▪ Most babies soon develop a daily routine of eating and sleeping.
▪ She does not like having her work routine interrupted.
▷ standard practice /ˌstændəʳd ˈpræktə̇s/ [uncountable noun]
the way that something is usually done in a particular situation or within a particular organization :
▪ Checking police records of new staff is standard practice these days.
it is standard practice (for somebody) to do something
▪ In the 1930s, it was standard practice for workers to have seven days’ holiday a year.
▪ It’s standard practice for the architects and builders to haggle over costs.