Idiom: second nature; used as a noun

First Example:
John trained Luana on a new job at
work.  At first, she was very nervous
about it, and she was afraid she would do it wrong.  But after doing it for a couple days, it became
second nature to her.  She can’t believe she ever thought this was
difficult!

Meaning: “Second nature”
is an adjective phrase that is used to describe a behavior or trait that has
become such a habit, it almost seems to have been part of a person from birth. This
idiom is usually used to describe something is easy and natural for one person
(but not necessarily to other people). 
In the example, Luana was at first nervous about her new task at work,
but she quickly learned that it was actually very simple.  Notice that the phrase is followed by “to
her.”  While not required (as in the
next example), “second nature” is commonly used with “to
+person.”

Here is
another example:    
Son: Mom, do you think I’ll pass my
driving test?
Mom: I’m sure you’ll be fine. And if
you fail the first time, you can take it again later.
Son: I’m sure you passed your test the first time.
Mom: Actually, I failed my first two driving tests.
Son: Really?!  But you’re such a good driver.
Mom: Like you, I was really scared
during my driving tests.  Plus, I was a
pretty terrible driver.  I ran a stop
sign during my first test, and I hit another car in my second test before I
could even leave the DMV. 
Son: Wow!  I didn’t know that!
Mom: I’ve driven a lot since then, and
now it’s second nature; I don’t even
think about it when I drive.  I’m sure
you’ll be fine.  And think of this way: even if you fail the first time, you’ll
probably still do better than hitting a parked car in the parking lot.
Son: Thanks mom.

In this case, the son is nervous
about his driving test since he’s a new driver, but his mom explains that now
that she has been driving for years, driving is second nature to her.  She
doesn’t even think about how to drive because she just knows how.

This idiom is from the upcoming
edition of LSI’s book “Reading Horizons,” which will be used in the
Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit https://www.languagesystems.com/