Definition: noun supreme self-confidence : nerve, gall : temerity

Etymology: Yiddish khutspe, from Late Hebrew ḥuṣpāh

Quotation: “I had the chutzpah to think that I could run in a state where I had lived for only a few years.”
- from “Questions for Ted Sorensen” in the New York Times Magazine

To the synonyms list I might add “balls”, “stones”, “cajones”, “brass”, and “moxie”. Maybe not the most PC of synonyms, but I feel they should be included for the sake of completeness.
It’s no surprise “chutzpah” is Yiddish…you can pick out the peculiar guttural, abrupt sound of the word from a mile away. Bupkes, kibbitz, klutz, kvetch, schmuck - they make frequent use of “k”, “v”, and “z” (perfect for Scrabble by the way). You can find a sweet list of the more popular Yiddish words and phrases here. I picked up on “chutzpah” in particular because I saw it in the aforementioned article one day and here in Slate the next.