_Habit_ is a tendency which leads us to do easily; _custom_ grows out of the habitual doing or frequent repetition of the same act. _Custom _refers to the usages of society, or of the individual; _habit_ refers more frequently to the individual acts. “Ill _habits_ gather by unseen degrees.”
“Man yields to custom as he bows to fate, In all things ruled— mind, body, and estate.”
These words are often used interchangeably, but should be discriminated. _Need_ implies the lack; _want_ also implies the lack, but couples with it the wish to supply the lack. “Some men _need_ help, but will not ask for it; others _want_ help (that is, they need help, or think they do, and ask for it) and get it, too.”
“He is _way_ down in Florida,” is incorrect. “He is _away _down in Florida” is better grammar. “He is in Florida” is still better. _Down_ indicates the direction, and _away_ magnifies the distance. As most persons know the direction, and as modern railway travel shortens long distances, the abbreviated sentence is sufficiently full.
“He is a long _ways_ from home” is a very common, but faulty expression. Say “Uncle Charles is now a long _way_ on his journey.” “The boat is a good _way_ off the shore.”
“The _whole_ of the scholars went to the fair to-day.” _“All_ of the school went to the fair to-day.” The sentences will be improved by transposing _whole_ and _all. “All_ of the scholars went to the fair to-day,” not half of them. “The _whole_ school went to the fair to-day,” not a part of it. _All_ refers to the individual scholars; _whole_ to the school as a unit.
“He cannot miss the way _without_ he forgets my instructions.” “I will not dig the potatoes _without_ Tom comes to help.” Use _unless _instead of _without._
“He dislikes arithmetic _worse_ than grammar.” Use _more_ instead of _worse._
“It is _rarely_ that you hear of a prodigal youth growing into an economical man.” _Rarely_ should be _rare_ to form the adjective attribute of the verb.
_Real_ is often incorrectly used as an adverb, especially by schoolgirls; as, “I think he is _real_ mean.” The grammar will be improved by substituting _really_ for _real,_ but the expression, as a whole, being applied to all kinds and degrees of offenses, has become meaningless.