Gravitas.
noun: dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner.
As in, "Dorianne Laux's poems bring a gravitas and solidity to the ordinary aspects of American life, [....]"
So now I know. And all this time I thought gravitas was a synonym for cojones, or chutzpah. As in, "Jerome finally mustered up the gravitas to stand up to the snarling dominatrix, even as she swung him by his gravitas in a wide circle like a dead cat."
Turns out it is from the Latin, and thus purely BritishSpeak and not even meant for Americans to hear, much less try to use.
Go figure.
