second nature
noun1
Idiomatic A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.
- But habit had made the endurance of this load of panoply a second nature, both to the knight and his gallant charger.1825, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in The Talisman:
- Ashe Marson had realized that he must forego those morning exercises which had become a second nature to him.1915, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 1, in Something New:
1 more example
- For many video gamers, juggling a joystick and a pizza is second nature.2005 April 3, Jeremy Caplan, “Game On, Hold The Pepperoni”, in Time: