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".