Chutzpah

Pronunciation

• RP enPR: á´‹Êœo͝otsʹpă, IPA: /ˈxÊŠts.pÉ‘/
• US enPR: á´‹Êœo͝otsʹpÉ™, IPA: /ˈxÊŠts.pÉ™/
• RP enPR: ho͝otsʹpă, IPA: /ˈhÊŠts.pÉ‘/
• US enPR: ho͝otsʹpÉ™, IPA: /ˈhÊŠts.pÉ™/

Alternative forms

• khutzpah
• khutspah
• chutspah
• khutspe

Origin

Originated 1890–95 from Yiddish חוצפּה, from Mishnaic Hebrew חֻצְפָּה, from חָצַף (khátsaf, "to be insolent"). Ultimately from Aramaic חוצפא, חֲצַף (ḥaṣap, "to be insolent").

Noun

1. (slang) Nearly arrogant courage; utter audacity, effrontery or impudence; supreme self-confidence; exaggerated self-opinion;
• 22/01/2007, The Times, Modern MannersIf 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.
• 12/11/2007, John Scalzi, Whatever, Your Creation Museum ReportBut 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.

Related terms

• chutzpadik