Temerity -- How Galling!

"It didn't storm today, like the weather report said it would," Mark noted. "No, but it had the temerity to rain on my bike ride!" I retorted. We're still watching out of our windows to see when the downpour comes. But, meanwhile, I'm occupying myself exploring that choice word, temerity.

Whenever I see or say it, I can't help but think of termites. That's stupid, of course, and does nothing to help me retain the word's true meaning. Except if I think to myself, what temerity those termites had invading my home! Even if its framework is made out of wooden beams, like a giant banquet hall for these cellulose-chomping critters, I'm appalled that they'd invade my space! I did indeed endure a termite infestation in one of the apartments I lived in during my college years. It was mating season and an orgy was taking place in the living room, mostly in the sunlight of the one large window in that room. In hindsight, I should've burst into a resounding chorus of "Let the Sun Shine In." At the time however, I was reduced to semi-articulate shouting into the telephone to the apartment manager that I was very put out by the lack of effective pest control.

So, anyway, temerity has nothing to do with termites. No, it stems from Latin root temeritas meaning "rashness." Hmm. Accusing Romans of rashness needn't raise any eyebrows -- et tu, Bruté, and all that -- but kind of silly to suggest that the weather acted out of rashness.

Proper usage of temerity merited a special note in the New Oxford American Dictionary, interestingly:

THE RIGHT WORD
The line that divides boldness from foolishness or stupidity is often a fine one.
Someone who rushes hastily into a situation without thinking about the consequences might be accused of rashness, while temerity implies exposing oneself needlessly to danger while failing to estimate one's chances of success (she had the temerity to criticize her teacher in front of the class).
Audacity describes a different kind of boldness, one that disregards moral standards or social conventions (he had the audacity to ask her if she would mind paying for the trip).
Someone who behaves with foolhardiness is reckless or downright foolish (climbing the mountain after dark was foolhardiness and everyone knew it), while impetuosity describes an eager impulsiveness or behavior that is sudden, rash, and sometimes violent (his impetuosity had landed him in trouble before).
Gall and effrontery are always derogatory terms. Effrontery is a more formal word for the flagrant disregard of the rules of propriety and courtesy (she had the effrontery to call the president by his first name), while gall is more colloquial and suggests outright insolence (he was the only one with enough gall to tell the boss off).

I suppose I've been accustomed to using temerity as a direct substitute for effrontery to mean the derogatory sense of disregard for propriety and I need to adjust my terminology. Darn it, I knew I should've just stuck to good ol' gall! But then, did Woody Allen use temerity correctly?

From Love and Death:

(Allen as Boris) Don't you know that murder carries with it a moral imperative that transcends any notion of inherent universal free will?
(Diane Keaton as Sonya) That is incredibly jejune.
(Allen) That's jejune?
(Keaton) Jejune!
(Allen) You have the temerity to say that I'm talking to you out of jejunosity? I am one of the most june people in all of the Russias!

Dictionary Definition:
Pronounced: |tə-mer-i-tē|
1. excessive confidence or boldness; audacity