Choice betrays character,” I said.“That’s not true.” Loring moved his finger along thesheet as if writing his name in cursive. “Eliza, you can’t judge a man solely on his actions. Sometimes actions are nothing more than reactions.

Meaning: Blushing is imagined as the visible colour of moral sensitivity. The saying can praise a moment of modesty, but a bodily reaction does not prove honesty or virtue, and the absence of visible embarrassment does not establish a defect of character.

Meaning: Someone endlessly available to everyone may lack a position or allegiance of their own. The chair image mocks indiscriminate accommodation, although openness and helpfulness can also be strengths.

Meaning: A convincing lie can be especially harmful because people are more likely to trust it. Best is an ironic description of successful deception, without proving that every false statement has the same consequences.