Chutzpah
Chutzpah (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈhʊtspə/) is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad. The Yiddish word derives from the Hebrew word ḥuṣpâ (חֻצְפָּה), meaning "insolence", "audacity". The modern English usage of the word has taken on a broader meaning, having been popularized through vernacular use in film, literature, and television. The word has also been able to be interpreted as meaning the amount of spunk or ability that an individual has. In more traditional usage, chutzpah is invariably negative.
Etymology
In Hebrew, chutzpah is used indignantly, to describe someone who has overstepped the boundaries of accepted behavior. In traditional usage, the word expresses a strong sense of disgust, condemnation and outrage.
Leo Rosten in The Joys of Yiddish defines chutzpah as "gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible 'guts,' presumption plus arrogance such as no other word and no other language can do justice to." In this sense, chutzpah expresses both strong disapproval and condemnation.
Judge Alex Kozinski and Eugene Volokh in an article entitled Lawsuit Shmawsuit, note the rise in use of Yiddish words in legal opinion. They note that chutzpah has been used 231 times in American legal opinions, 220 of those after 1980.[1]
The cognate of chutzpah in Arabic, ḥaṣāfah (حصافة), does not mean "impudence" or "cheekiness" or anything similar, but rather "sound judgment."[2]
Popular culture
- Alan Dershowitz entitled his bestselling book of essays Chutzpah.
- Norman Finkelstein titled his book responding to Dershowitz's claims on Israel Beyond Chutzpah.[3]
- Actor Phil Silvers was known as "The King of Chutzpah".
See also
References
- ^ Kozinski, Alex (1993). "Lawsuit Shmawsuit". Yale Law Journal. 103 (2). The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc.: 463. doi:10.2307/797101. JSTOR 797101. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Wehr, Hans (1994) [1979]. J. Milton Cowan (ed.). Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic. Urbana, Illinois: Spoken Language Services, Inc. ISBN 0879500034.
- ^ Wiener, Jon (2005-07-11). "Giving Chutzpah New Meaning". The Nation. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
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External links