What Nerve!

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CHUTZPAH, a Yiddish word that has no equal in another language, implies the ultimate in arrogance. Leo Rosten explained it this way in his classic 1968 book, “The Joys of Yiddish”: “Chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.” That’s a good one, but now I have one that’s even better.

Just about every morning around the same time, for what seems like forever, our home phone rings and PRESCOALIT flashes on the caller ID. I never answer but today I did, hoping to give someone a piece of my mind. But instead of a real person to yell at,  a recording informed me: “This is the Presidential Coalition. Please hold on for the next available agent.”

Now that’s chutzpah.

—Andrea Rouda

Andrea Rouda blogs at The Daily Droid.