chode: past
tense of chide.
Chide: –verb (used with object)
1.
to
express disapproval of; scold; reproach: The principal chided the
children for their thoughtless pranks.
2.
to harass, nag, impel, or the like by chiding: She chided him into apologizing.
Having been referred to as a chode, the
gentleman exercised diligence in researching the word. Learning of the common urban meaning, the
gentleman chose, upon reflection, to take the remark as a compliment and a statement of his endowment rather than to be chided by the misuses of a known word. After all, making this choice defines the difference between a "
man" and a "gentleman".