These words are used to describe things that happen in the normal course of events or are accepted by most people as natural rather than as novel or strange. Usual is applied to whatever recurs frequently, steadily or with relative constancy. Unlike some of these words, it may be applied to natural happenings as well as to occurrences based on the customs of a community or the habits of an individual.

• Thunder is the usual sign of an approaching storm; Flowers are the usual gift for a convalescent; Playing chess is his usual pastime.

Everyday has less special meaning than any of these terms. It refers to things which simply happen without causing undue notice or concern: an everyday occurrence; the everyday give-and-take of business life.

Regular , ordinary and common , in the sense of usual , have equally wide applications. Regular emphasizes a conformity to the established or natural order of things.

• Overtime is work in excess of the regular weekly schedule; Most of us thrive on regular meals and regular hours of rest.

Ordinary , implying such conformity less strongly, connotes an absence of exceptional or striking characteristics: An ordinary work day is eight hours. Common also emphasizes the unexceptional, but may in some usages suggest somewhat less frequency than does usual : the common household accident of slipping in the bath; the usual congratulations one extends to the parents of a new baby.

Customary , habitual , wonted , accustomed and conventional seldom refer to natural occurrences except metaphorically. In most cases they indicate what is usual . Customary is applied to something that characterizes a given community or person.

• It is customary for Tibetans to put yak butter in their tea; It is customary for our family to sleep late on Sunday mornings.

Habitual refers to acts or qualities in individuals that have been strengthened by constantly repeated actions: a habitual chain-smoker; a habitual liar. Wonted , a word that now sounds bookish and quaint, emphasizes habituation, but is applied to both personal habits and to social customs when less stress is being laid on their fixity: returning home each evening at his wonted hour. Accustomed is often used in place of customary or in place of wonted , but suggests fixed custom less strongly than does customary and is less stilted than wonted . It often implies simply getting used to something: accustomed attitude of optimism. Conventional is the strongest of these words in suggesting the following of established custom or usage, and is emphasizes the general agreement accorded to it: It is conventional for men who are friends to shake hands when they meet in the street.