Common Mistakes : Habit

noun

.BAD: It is a habit in Japan to take off your shoes before entering a house
.GOOD: It is a custom in Japan to take off your shoes before entering a house

CULTURE / CUSTOM / HABIT / MANNER / MANNERS / TRADITION

Culture
N1. the customs, ideas, art, etc, which are found in a particular society or group and which make it different from another society or group
.Obeying your parents is a hallmark of Asian culture
: N2. the art, music, literature, etc, that is produced by a particular society
.Professor Jackson is an expert on ancient Greek culture
.The Samba is an important part of Brazilian culture

Custom
N1. something that the people in a particular society have done (in the same way) for a very long time, and which they consider to be normal or polite
.One of their customs is to point with the thumb, not with the index finger
.According to local custom, his body was carried to the top of a hill and cremated
.His knowledge of Malay and Indonesian customs proved invaluable when we got to Bali
: N2. something that a person usually does in a particular situation
His custom of making detailed preparatory drawings makes him unique amongst 18th century British painters
.On Wednesday evening, as was his custom, he went for a long walk

: Habit something that a person does repeatedly, often without realizing it
.She has a lot of little habits that I find really irritating
.In California I got into the habit of eating with just a fork

: Manner (singular) the way someone behaves towards people
.She impressed us all with her business-like manner
.His cheerful face and polite manner have won him a lot of friends

Manners (plural) the way someone behaves towards people, especially when compared with what is accepted as polite behaviour
.The child has very good manners and always says thank you

Tradition a belief, custom or way of doing something that has been passed on from one generation to the next
The tradition was that when a man died, all his wealth and possessions would go to the eldest son

.BAD: Once one has taken the habit, smoking is very difficult to give up
.GOOD: Once one has acquired the habit, smoking is very difficult to give up

: (acquire/adopt/develop/get into a habit (NOT take
.He’s developed the unfortunate habit of biting his fingernails