old habits die hard

[ ohld-hab-its dahy-hahrd ]

/ ˈoʊld ˈhæb ɪts ˈdaɪ ˈhɑrd /

Save This Word!

idiom

(used when someone is finding it difficult to change a long-standing pattern of behavior): I still have to consciously work on slowing down when I eat—old habits die hard.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of old habits die hard

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby old habits die hard

old goat, old gold, old growth, Old Guard, Old Guardism, old habits die hard, Oldham, old hand, Old Harry, old hat, Old High German

How to use old habits die hard in a sentence

Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yves Albarello, MP of Seine-et-Marne, said the gunmen told police they were ready to “die as martyrs.”
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So here I am in my requisite Lululemon pants, grunting along to an old hip-hop song at a most ungodly hour.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But so-called jungle primaries are notoriously hard to predict or poll.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It would became one of the first great mysteries in the United States of America, as it was only then 23 years old.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Davy looked around and saw an old man coming toward them across the lawn.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
His wife stood smiling and waving, the boys shouting, as he disappeared in the old rockaway down the sandy road.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Old Mrs. Wurzel and the buxom but not too well-favoured heiress of the house of Grains were at the head of the table.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Vicars' wives had come and gone, but all had submitted, some after a brief struggle, to old Mrs. Wurzel's sway.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
But with all her advantages Miss Solomonson failed with the old lord, and she abuses him to this day.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills