The Yiddish language has gifted English speakers with some irresistibly punchy words that defy direct translation, but are instantly understandable: schmuck, schmooze, schtick, tchatchke, bupkes, klutz, the list goes on.
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Chutzpah is often defined as nerve, gall, insolence, arrogance and supreme self-confidence. Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images
The Yiddish language has gifted English speakers with some irresistibly punchy words that defy direct translation, but are instantly understandable: schmuck, schmooze, schtick, tchatchke, bupkes, klutz, the list goes on.
Chutzpah is a word that should be in everyone's Yiddish arsenal. If you're not familiar with chutzpah, it's often defined in the dictionary as nerve, gall, insolence, arrogance and "supreme self-confidence." But as with all Yiddish words, there's a subtle flavor to chutzpah that eludes easy translation into English.