CHAV

'''Chav', 'Charv/Charver' (male) and 'Chavette' (female) ''('ch' pronounced as in chair) are mainly derogatory slang terms in the United Kingdom for a subcultural stereotype fixated on fashions derived from American Hip-hop such as imitation gold jewellery and designer clothing, combined with elements of working class British street fashion. Chavs are generally considered to have no respect for society, and to be ignorant or unintelligent. The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.^[1]^[2]
The defining features of the chav clothing is the Burberry pattern (notably a now-discontinued baseball cap) and from a variety of other casual and sportswear brands. Tracksuits, hoodies, track suit bottoms, Reebok trainers, and baseball caps are particularly associated with this stereotype. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.^[3] The term has also been associated with delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", "Hoodie culture", and "yob culture".
There is a regional dimension to the use of the term. In the north east of England (particularly in Newcastle and Gateshead), the variant ''charv'' or ''charver''/''charva'' is most commonly used, while in the south east ''chav'' and ''chavette'' are the usual forms. In the north west of England the equivalent term is ''scally'' (from ''scallywag''), in Scotland the equivalent is ''ned'', the American term is wankster (also pronounced wanksta).

Etymology

The accepted etymology for "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word "chavi", meaning a child. World Wide Words Related words derived from the same source include "charva" meaning prostitute (used in north-east England in a similar sense). In modern Spanish "chaval" or "chavo" means "lad" (eg: ''El Chavo'', a Mexican television comedy whose principal character is a street orphan).^[4]
Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council housed And Violent"^[5] and "Council House Associated Vermin" and "Cheap And Vulgar". It has also been suggested that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College and Cheltenham College used the word to describe the younger men of the town ("Cheltenham Average").^[6] It is similarly thought to refer to Chatham Average.
From its origins as a slang term, use of the word spread so rapidly that by 2004 it had become a hugely popular word in national newspapers and common parlance in the UK. Susie Dent's ''Larpers and Shroomers: The Language Report'', published by the Oxford University Press, designated it as the "word of the year"^[7] in 2004.^[8] A survey in 2005 found that in December 2004 alone 114 British newspaper articles used the word. The popularity of the word has led to the creation of sites devoted to cataloguing and mocking the "chav" lifestyle.

Synonyms and regional variants

★ "scally" (North West England)

★ "Charver"/"Charv" (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

★ "pikey" (South East England)

★ "ned", (Scotland)

★ "Tink", "Mink", North East Scotland

★ "Tinger" in Grimsby, with the "ng" being pronounced like the ng in "long"

★ "kev"#

★ "safes" - parts of south Wales -referring to the "safety" term associated with wanna-be hip-hop culture

★ "sket"

★ "skeet" (Northern Ireland)

★ "trev" (West Country,England)

★ Wigger (United States)

★ "sham"

★ "yarco"

★ "Townie" (frequency of use has declined but was once common in the west and south midlands)

★ "dobber"

★ "knacker" (Republic of Ireland)

★ "skanger" (Republic of Ireland)

★ "hoodie"

★ "mallie" Word of the Month

★ "city boi"

★ "smick" (Northern Ireland)

★ "steek" (Northern Ireland)

★ "spide" (Northern Ireland)

★ "millie" (Belfast, female)

★ "racaille" (France)

★ "Fjortis" (Sweden)

★ "Gaggio" (Sardinia)

★ "aso" (The Netherlands)

★ "kamper" (The Netherlands)

★ "Amis(male)/pissis(female)" (Finland)
. Urban Dictionary: Meader

Criticism of the stereotyping chavs

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; some argue that it amounts simply to snobbery and classism,^[9] and that serious social problems such as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, teenage pregnancy, delinquency and alcoholism in low-income areas should not be scoffed at. Critics of the term have argued that its proponents are “neo-snobs,”^[10] and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class. Media student 'expert on chavs' Alison Smith In a February 2005 article in ''The Times'', Julie Burchill argued that use of the word is a form of “social racism,” and that such “sneering” reveals more about the shortcomings of the “chav-haters” than those of their supposed victims.^[11] The writer John Harris argued along similar lines in a 2007 article in ''The Guardian''.^[12]
Burchill also produced a Sky One television programme on the topic where she sought to link the word with the entire working-class population. The controversy around the term was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in July 2005, simply entitled ''Chavs''.

Commercial effect

The Burberry clothing brand, which quickly became synonymous with the chav subculture, ceased production of its branded baseball cap in 2004, in an attempt to distance itself from the stereotype. It also scaled back the use of its patented checkered/tartan design to such an extent that it now only appears on the inner linings and other very low-key positions of their clothing.^[13]^[14]
The company has argued that all chavs are associated with counterfeit versions of the clothing: “They’re yesterday’s news,” stated Stacey Cartwright, the CEO of Burberry. “It was mostly counterfeit, and Britain accounts for less than 10% of our sales anyway.”^[15]
In August 2006 a company introducing tuctuc vehicles into the south coast resort of Brighton, England named one of the vehicles the “Chavrolet” and had it painted in the distinctive Burberry tartan. However, the company soon had to withdraw this vehicle after being threatened with proceedings for breach of copyright by the Burberry company.^[16]
Additionally, the fall in the sale of thongs has been attributed partially to their association with female chavs.^[17]
In 2005, Bluewater Shopping Centre banned hooded tops from anywhere in their complex.^[18] Pubs in Leicester announced that they would ban young people wearing certain fashion brands due to an association between these brands and football hooliganism.^[19]
The large supermarket chain ASDA has attempted to trademark the word “chav” for a new line of confectionery. ASDA spokeswoman Rebecca Liburd said: “With slogans from characters in shows such as Little Britain and the Catherine Tate Show providing us with more and more contemporary slang, our Whatever sweets — now nicknamed chav hearts — have become very popular with kids and grown-ups alike. We thought we needed to give them some respect and have decided to trademark our sweets.”^[20]

Media characterisation

The "chav culture" has been portrayed extensively in British media:

★ Lottery millionaire Michael Carroll is the self-proclaimed “King of the Chavs” due to his lifestyle and antics. He is frequently derided in the tabloid press for his anti-social behaviour, and is often referred to as the “Lotto Lout” in the British tabloid media.

★ The Welsh rap group, Goldie Lookin' Chain, have been described as both embodying and satirising the chav aesthetic, though the group themselves deny any such agenda, simply making a mockery of the subject..^[21] The British car tuning magazine Max Power once had a beige Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier stickered to make it look like the Burberry check, named it the "Chavalier" and gave it to the band.

★ Footballer Wayne Rooney^[22] and girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin,^[23] rapper Lady Sovereign,^[24] glamour model Jordan^[25], actress Danniella Westbrook, and former ''Big Brother'' contestant Jade Goody^[26] have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

★ In the ''Doctor Who'' episode “New Earth,” Rose Tyler is described as a “chav” and “chavtastic” by Lady Cassandra.

★ Pop sensation Lily Allen has been described and criticised for being a chav. Because she does not come from a working class background she has also been criticised for pretending to be one.^[27]

References

1. 'Asbo' and 'chav' make dictionary
2. Don't be a plank. Read this and get really clueful Neil Tweedie
3. Bottom of the Class Harris John
4. ''Chaval'' definition at Yahoo Education
5. To charv or not to charver - that is the question Anoop Nayak and Steve Drayton
6. Cheltenham ladies and the chavs Neil Tweedie
7. Colourful whitewash Jeremy Noel-Tod
8. AskOxford: Larpers and Shroomers: the Language Report
9.
10. Sneer nation Oliver Bennett
11. Yeah but, no but, why I'm proud to be a chav Julie Burchill
12. So now we've finally got our very own 'white trash' John Harris
13. The £16m woman takes on Burberry
14. Check out the height of ferret fashion. Burberry has
15. Burberry not chavin' it Ian King
16. "Burberry drives tuk-tuk off road" Adrian Kwintner
17. The fall of the thong
18. Mall bans shoppers' hooded tops
19. Pub-goers facing 'Burberry' ban
20. ASDA tries to trade mark "chav"
21.
22. Leave chavs alone, say MPs Brian Wheeler
23. Chav a merry Xmas, Roo Guy Patrick
24. Lady Sovereign : The country's fourth biggest chav Johnny Davis
25. Say cheese! Camilla and the Queen of Chav enjoy two right royal Sholto Byrnes
26. Doff your caps to the chavs ...they're THE word of 2004 Karen McVeigh
27. Lilly Allen Disses Kate Moss While Sienna Is Out As Designer’s Muse

External links

Articles

★ Future bling of England Duncan Larcombe

★ Get hip to Chav as this year's wizard word David Ward

★ Music to deter yobs by Melissa Jackson

★ End Of 'Hooligan' Cap

★ In defence of snobbery Jemima Lewis

★ So now we've finally got our very own 'white trash' John Harris

★ Burberry

This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.

psst.. try this: add to faves

	Oceanfrontier Hideaway
	Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport
	The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa
	Coral Beach Club

	Chav Scum
	mr happy goes to chav land
	Chav gets arrested and maced
	How to be a chav.
	How To Be The Perfect Chav !!

	Time out for Touring Inc.
	YYZ Travel
	Hacienda Encantada
	Marina Fiesta Resort
	Eldowy Tours
	A Friend in New York
	Sports Vacations
	Best Western Suites Downtown Calgary
	The Westin Resort & Spa Whistler
	Pelican Executive Suites

$Daily flights from NYC to Mont Tremblant\$	Daily flights from NYC to Mont Tremblant's Ski Slopes
	Top cross-country skiing destinations in U.S. & Canada
	Three packing tips to increase yuletide cheer
	6 Money saving tips when skiing in Vail, Colorado
	Plan your honeymoon without ruining your relationship
	Guide to travelling in Thailand: Perfect budget holidays

Home

Blogs

Trip Deals

Hotel Deals

Jobs

Videos

Articles

Directory

Languages

CHAV

Etymology

Synonyms and regional variants

Criticism of the stereotyping chavs

Commercial effect

Media characterisation

See also

Social categorisation

Similar stereotypes from outside the UK

Rest of Europe

United States and Canada

Caribbean and Latin America

Australia and New Zealand

Asia

References

Further reading

External links

Articles

Customer Service

Most Popular

Useful

Find