It's not difficult to deduce what kind of a response to the implication question is a socially acceptable one.

If you are saying that he can figure out whether lying or telling the truth about his implication is socially acceptable, sure.

The real problem is that he already had an implication, but he's using the fact that it's an implication to maintain plausible deniability by not coming out and saying it. Saying it may be socially unacceptable, but that's because making the implication is also socially unacceptable.