More on Chutzpah

[John Cole]

After consulting Leo Rosten's wonderful The Joys of Yiddish, I found this story to illustrate the meaning of "chutzpah":

A beggar knocks at a woman's door and asks for something to eat. She invites him in and tells him there's some black bread and challah bread. The beggar reaches for the challah bread and butter and eats a piece. When he reaches for another piece of challah, the woman reminds him there's black bread, too.

She says, "The challah is so expensive."

As the beggar takes another piece of challah, he responds, "Yes, and it's worth it, too."

BTW, I also found out that a beggar is called a "schnorer." Nothing remarkable in itself, but now I know what it means in "Captain Spaulding, The African Explorer."

Hooray, hooray, hooray.

John

[Ray Zee]

yea john, wouldnt you know it. the old jewish woman is so tight she tries to get the poor hungry beggar to eat the cheap bread.

[MMMMMM]

Great joke.

My immediate reaction was that the beggar is a bit like Gray Davis; it sure is worth it when you're spending other people's money.

Now, I understand, much of the public sector in California make more than their counterparts in the private sector--and get better benefits, too. Sure is worth it to be a politician these days, I guess.

[Zeno]

I consulted Leo Rosten's Carnival of Wit and found nothing specific on Chutzpah. I did, however, find this great line by G.B.Shaw; I think it fits. What do you think?

[ QUOTE ]
The world is populated in the main by people who should not exist.


[/ QUOTE ]

Took some chutzpah to write that line did it not. Struck a cord with me, anyway. The quote was under the "cynics" section. I wonder why.

[ QUOTE ]
Cynic: a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin. - H.L. Mencken

[/ QUOTE ]

Just wanted to heave that one into the pond.

-Zeno

[andyfox]

A schnorer is one who is constantly looking for something for nothing. A guy who gets himself invited to a dinner because he isn't going to have to pay for it.

Take my brother-in-law.

Please.

BTW, since you mentioned Groucho, a few years before he died, I sat next to him at our local deli. He was pretty feeble physically, but still pretty sharp mentally. When the waitress asked him "Do you want a fork?" he replied, "Your place or mine?"