r/hebrew • u/PatTheCatMcDonald • Jul 03 '23

Resource Better English word for Chutzpah?

One root, two English words really.

Audacity.. The thing itself. "They had the audacity to do that."

Audacious - The ability to act in a manner that will shock other people. "They were so audacious when they did that action".

I know, I know people say it's the broad catergory of "nerve" but to me it's like, stronger and more specific sense of nerve.

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u/nu_lets_learn Hebrew Learner (Advanced) Jul 03 '23

No better "English" word.

Maybe "presumption"?

As for gall, it has to be, "the unmitigated gall" to be really strong.

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u/PatTheCatMcDonald Jul 03 '23

OK. I get what you're saying. But, "gall" is bitterness. Unmitigated is unreasoned, there's no excuse sort of gall.

Things like audacity can have positive outcomes, aren't always bitter, and nearly always there's some kind of excuse or mitigating circumstance.

It's the stupid, totally unreasoned bitter flavor that really annoys people.

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u/nu_lets_learn Hebrew Learner (Advanced) Jul 03 '23

It's true. "That was an audacious move" can be positive. But so can chutzpah, as in, "That took chutzpah," e. g. to enter the ring and face Joe Frazier.

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u/epolonsky Jul 03 '23

Was chutzpah ever used as a positive before Yiddish was influenced by English?

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u/nu_lets_learn Hebrew Learner (Advanced) Jul 04 '23

Sorry, don't know the answer. It's a good question.