diffidence

The scene says a lot with a little, hitting comic beats but ending deflatedly thanks to the art dealer’s ruthless reaction to this diffidence.

“It is probably this diffidence that has made it difficult to make progress on solutions.”

One video shows the two cats at their first meeting exhibiting mutual curiosity and typical feline diffidence.

Eventually, Hilary’s boss, Mr. Ellis — played with characteristic diffidence by Colin Firth — arrives, stiffly giving her a box of candy “with deep affection.”

One lesson of the book is that people reared in places saturated with complicated racial meanings ought to treat their convictions about race with diffidence and perhaps with suspicion.