Chutzpah
Etymology
From Yiddish khutspe, from Hebrew ḥuṣpāh (“insolence, audacity”). It entered American English through Yiddish-speaking communities and keeps its double edge — the classic illustration is the man who kills his parents, then begs the court’s mercy as an orphan.
noun · /HOOTS-puh/
Brazen nerve — audacity that goes well past what the situation warrants.
What it names
The specific gall of someone who dares far more than they have any right to, provoking equal parts outrage and admiration.
Example
It took real chutzpah to ask for a raise the same week he crashed the company car.
Related idea
Confidence is earned self-assurance; chutzpah is nerve that outruns any right to it — audacity bordering on gall.