chutzpah

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English[edit]

WOTD – 23 June 2008

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Originated 1890–95 from Yiddish חוצפּה (khutspe), from Mishnaic Hebrew חוֹצְפָּה (ḥôṣǝpâ) (Sotah 9:15 in MSS Kaufmann A50), from חָצַף (ḥāṣap̄, “to be insolent”). Ultimately from Aramaic חֲצִיפָא (ḥăṣîp̄āʾ), חֲצַף (ḥăṣap̄, “to be barefaced, insolent”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈxʊts.pɑ/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun[edit]

chutzpah (usually uncountable, plural chutzpahs)

  1. (informal) Nearly arrogant courage; utter audacity, effrontery or impudence; supreme self-confidence; exaggerated self-opinion.
    Synonyms: balls, cheek, gall, nerve, boldness, audacity, insolence
    • 2007 January 22, Philip Howard, “Modern Manners”, in The Times‎[1]:
      If the service is rotten and the meal a disaster, we should withhold a tip and explain why we are doing so. Few of us have the chutzpah to do this.
    • 2007 December 11, John Scalzi, “Your Creation Museum Report”, in Whatever‎[2]:
      But seriously, the ability to just come out and put on a placard that the Jurassic era is temporally contiguous with the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt — well, there’s a word for that, and that word is chutzpah.
    • 2015, Tim Carvell [et al.], “Daily Fantasy Sports”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 2, episode 34, John Oliver (actor), Warner Bros. Television, via HBO:
      Okay, okay, okay… First of all, “shutspah” is actually pronounced “khootspah”. But, but-but-but the idea, the idea that daily fantasy sites are using this law to claim they’re not gambling is not chutzpah, it’s khorseshit!

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