show (your) true colours

show (someone) in (their) true colours - to show what someone's real character is, especially when it is unpleasant.

When someone is faced with such a terrible ordeal, it shows their true colours.

• be bored out of mind
• be bored out of your mind
• be [bored/scared/worried etc.] out of mind
• be [bored/scared/worried etc.] out of your mind
• be bored to death
• be bored to tears
• be born with a silver spoon in mouth
• be born with a silver spoon in your mouth
• be bound and determined
• be brain dead
• be bright and breezy
• be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
• be broad in the beam
• be brother's keeper
• be brought to account
• be built like a brick shithouse
• be built like a tank
• be built on sand
• be bulging at the seams
• be bumping along the bottom
• be burnt to a crisp
• be bursting at the seams
• be called to account
• be carried out feet first
• be carved in stone