Chav the skum
Chav is a derogatory slang term in popular usage throughout England. It refers to a council house anti-socially violent subculture stereotype of a person who is uneducated, uncultured and prone to antisocial or immoral behavior. The label is typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults who enjoy stabby/shooting white working-class or lower-middle class origin. Chav is used for both sexes, but a male chav is sometimes referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. Other synonyms include; 'barry', 'Rick Wing', 'bazzer', 'kev', 'scally', 'shaz', 'sharon', 'townie', and 'trev'. In Scotland a male chav is known as a 'ned' whilst a female chav is known as a 'senga'. The term was first popularised by the Popbitch website and taken up enthusiastically by the tabloid press. It is similar to the United States terms white trash, wigger or nigger, but not the Australian word bogan, which is actually a rough around edges, generally lower middle class white Australian, that is a bit more of a country Australian, drinking lots of beer, driving big Australian cars, there is no similarity to Chavs. Response to the term has ranged from acceptance to criticism that the term is a new manifestation of classism.
Chavs are also very similiar to other antisocial youth subcultures, including charvas and chores.
Origin
.
The word chav is commonly thought to be from the mid-19th century Romany word chavi, meaning "delinquent youth"; but some suggest it comes from a nickname used of people from various towns in England, including Chatham and Cheltenham, sometimes in conjunction with the class label Average.
It is sometimes mockingly redefined as one of several backronyms, including "Council Housed And Violent", "Council Housed And Vile","Council House Assault & Violence" and "Council House Associated Vermin" — although there is no etymological basis for these terms. Although British Police forces use C.H.A.V. as a slang term when referring to 'them' on a regular basis.
It is also said that the word was used in Edinburgh, Scotland in the early 1990s, leading to widespread bemusement on the part of Edinburghers at the sudden popularity of the term in South-Eastern England.
edit
Key concepts
This stereotyped subculture is defined by outsiders. Essentially very few self-identify with these labels and groupings; rather, they are used by those on the outside to categorise those supposedly conforming to the stereotype, which is marked by the similarity of trends in clothing and behaviour.
The essential stereotype is of being loudly lower-class, with 'class' defined by taste rather than income.
edit
Elements of the stereotype
Typical features of the stereotype include:
An image of the stereotypical chav
• The wearing of particular clothing, such as
o Brand name athletic clothing and shoes (stereotypically, "prison-white" trainers / sneakers / Reebok Classics).
o Fake designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive plaid of Burberry.
o A love of "bling", that is, gaudy gold jewellery (in particular hoop earrings for females and sovereign rings for males).
o Sports caps or hooded tops (often both are worn).
o Sports or jogging trousers.
• For females, thickly applied make-up, the heavy use of fake tan, and the hairstyle known as the "Council House Facelift" in which the (usually badly dyed) hair is pulled back into a tight bun.
• An association with crass, drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities, generally carried out under the influence of alcohol, and often after the pubs have closed.
• An association with housing estates and other low-income neighbourhoods.
• The ownership of a large, dangerous attack dog and a heavily modified car, often of low original specification, in the style seen in the film The Fast and the Furious. If a chav should find himself without a vehicle or dog of this sort, the acquiring of such will likely be a central focus for him.
o As seen in the magazine Max Power, a blend of vehicle customisation and semi-clad glamour models.
o Usually incorporating a high specification music system with amplified bass.
• Enjoyment of mainstream rap music (by males) or R&B (by females), and pop and dance music by both sexes. The rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain have satirised the chav aesthetic.
• The frequent use of mobile phones (regardless of location such as cinemas, restaurants, etc.).
• A penchant for confessional television chat shows such as Trisha.
• A proclivity for under-aged drinking and sex.
The Burberry clothing brand in particular acquired such links with the chav subculture that it ceased production of its branded baseball cap. Given the popularity of this item, a counterfeit version is usually what is being referred to.
edit
Media characterisation and comment
The character Vicky Pollard as portrayed in the BBC comedy series Little Britain by Matt Lucas is the most iconic chav or Kappa Slappa — from the name of the clothing brand Kappa and the word slapper. The Gallagher family of the Channel 4 series "Shameless" share many Chav characteristics including alcohol abuse, petty criminality, underage sex and maintaining a large family on state benefits. In this case the family is presented in a sympathetic light in an extension of the "Sympathetic Scally" characters found in Brookside and Boys from the Blackstuff. Also, as Sophie Webster once said in 'Coronation Street', "when we grow up, me and Chesney are going to be chavs!"
Julie Burchill writing in The Guardian in 2005 made a defence of Chav girls arguing that reduced social mobility means that an education as the traditional route out of poverty has limited value. Therefore Burchill claims that it was logical that Chavs would aspire to role models such as Jade Goody and Victoria Beckham.
edit
Derived and similar terms
There are many regional and local synonyms. For example, chav is equivalent to one definition of townie but is more specific in its usage.
Similar terms are scanger (in Ireland, Dublin in particular), spide (Northen Ireland), and ned (Scotland). In South Wales townie and scally are used.
A more comprehensive list of synonyms would include Pikey and Townie, as well as Bam, Bazza, Chaddite, Charver, Chavalier, Chavette, Chavster, Dumbo, Gazza, Hood Rat, Janner, Kev, Knacker, Ned, Ratboy, Rudeboy, Rudie, Scally, Schemie, Scumbag (Dublin, Ireland), Scutter, Shazza, Skanger, Spide, Steek, Stig, Westie (Auckland, New Zealand), Yarco, Telf, and Hatchy.
The act of adding superfluous and cosmetic modifications to something is known as chavving up (or shamming up in Ireland), and is particularly relevant if the modifications actually decrease performance. This has sometimes been used - occasionally derogatively but usually as a joke - of the case modding scene.
Related terms for urban or suburban miscreants can be found in the dictionary entry for "chav". The popularity of these terms has grown since the 1980s, and their usage reflects both serious and light-hearted issues arising from changes in British urban life.
There are a number of collective nouns for a group of chavs, among the most popular being a chavalanche or a chavalcade.
edit
Celebrity Chavs
Prince Harry has recently been cited, due to his penchant for baseball caps, sportswear, drinking, and drugs, and for his associations with glamour models. However, his aristocratic background would be at odds with the council estate stereotype.
For a certain group of chavs David and Victoria Beckham are particular role models. The footballer Wayne Rooney would fit the stereotype better, due to his use of abusive language and the anti-social behaviour depicted in the tabloid press.
Michael Carroll is widely regarded as being the epitome of chav culture. When the petty criminal and former dustman won the National Lottery Jackpot of over £9 million, he spent a large proportion of his winnings on gold jewellery, alcohol, drugs and cars.
The Reality Television star Jade Goody is widely regarded as a Chav rolemodel having had two highly publicised pregnancies with no obvious income.
Charlotte Church and Colleen McLoughlin are often referred to as "Queen of the Chavs" by tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines for their apparent lack of style, drunken behaviour, choice of laddish rich boyfriends and no appreciation for the value of money.
edit
See also
• Hooliganism / Yobs
• Charva
• British English
• Lumpenproletariat
• White trash
Chav is a derogatory slang term in popular usage throughout England. It refers to a council house anti-socially violent subculture stereotype of a person who is uneducated, uncultured and prone to antisocial or immoral behavior. The label is typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults who enjoy stabby/shooting white working-class or lower-middle class origin. Chav is used for both sexes, but a male chav is sometimes referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. Other synonyms include; 'barry', 'Rick Wing', 'bazzer', 'kev', 'scally', 'shaz', 'sharon', 'townie', and 'trev'. In Scotland a male chav is known as a 'ned' whilst a female chav is known as a 'senga'. The term was first popularised by the Popbitch website and taken up enthusiastically by the tabloid press. It is similar to the United States terms white trash, wigger or nigger, but not the Australian word bogan, which is actually a rough around edges, generally lower middle class white Australian, that is a bit more of a country Australian, drinking lots of beer, driving big Australian cars, there is no similarity to Chavs. Response to the term has ranged from acceptance to criticism that the term is a new manifestation of classism.
Chavs are also very similiar to other antisocial youth subcultures, including charvas and chores.
Origin
.
The word chav is commonly thought to be from the mid-19th century Romany word chavi, meaning "delinquent youth"; but some suggest it comes from a nickname used of people from various towns in England, including Chatham and Cheltenham, sometimes in conjunction with the class label Average.
It is sometimes mockingly redefined as one of several backronyms, including "Council Housed And Violent", "Council Housed And Vile","Council House Assault & Violence" and "Council House Associated Vermin" — although there is no etymological basis for these terms. Although British Police forces use C.H.A.V. as a slang term when referring to 'them' on a regular basis.
It is also said that the word was used in Edinburgh, Scotland in the early 1990s, leading to widespread bemusement on the part of Edinburghers at the sudden popularity of the term in South-Eastern England.
edit
Key concepts
This stereotyped subculture is defined by outsiders. Essentially very few self-identify with these labels and groupings; rather, they are used by those on the outside to categorise those supposedly conforming to the stereotype, which is marked by the similarity of trends in clothing and behaviour.
The essential stereotype is of being loudly lower-class, with 'class' defined by taste rather than income.
edit
Elements of the stereotype
Typical features of the stereotype include:
An image of the stereotypical chav
• The wearing of particular clothing, such as
o Brand name athletic clothing and shoes (stereotypically, "prison-white" trainers / sneakers / Reebok Classics).
o Fake designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive plaid of Burberry.
o A love of "bling", that is, gaudy gold jewellery (in particular hoop earrings for females and sovereign rings for males).
o Sports caps or hooded tops (often both are worn).
o Sports or jogging trousers.
• For females, thickly applied make-up, the heavy use of fake tan, and the hairstyle known as the "Council House Facelift" in which the (usually badly dyed) hair is pulled back into a tight bun.
• An association with crass, drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities, generally carried out under the influence of alcohol, and often after the pubs have closed.
• An association with housing estates and other low-income neighbourhoods.
• The ownership of a large, dangerous attack dog and a heavily modified car, often of low original specification, in the style seen in the film The Fast and the Furious. If a chav should find himself without a vehicle or dog of this sort, the acquiring of such will likely be a central focus for him.
o As seen in the magazine Max Power, a blend of vehicle customisation and semi-clad glamour models.
o Usually incorporating a high specification music system with amplified bass.
• Enjoyment of mainstream rap music (by males) or R&B (by females), and pop and dance music by both sexes. The rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain have satirised the chav aesthetic.
• The frequent use of mobile phones (regardless of location such as cinemas, restaurants, etc.).
• A penchant for confessional television chat shows such as Trisha.
• A proclivity for under-aged drinking and sex.
The Burberry clothing brand in particular acquired such links with the chav subculture that it ceased production of its branded baseball cap. Given the popularity of this item, a counterfeit version is usually what is being referred to.
edit
Media characterisation and comment
The character Vicky Pollard as portrayed in the BBC comedy series Little Britain by Matt Lucas is the most iconic chav or Kappa Slappa — from the name of the clothing brand Kappa and the word slapper. The Gallagher family of the Channel 4 series "Shameless" share many Chav characteristics including alcohol abuse, petty criminality, underage sex and maintaining a large family on state benefits. In this case the family is presented in a sympathetic light in an extension of the "Sympathetic Scally" characters found in Brookside and Boys from the Blackstuff. Also, as Sophie Webster once said in 'Coronation Street', "when we grow up, me and Chesney are going to be chavs!"
Julie Burchill writing in The Guardian in 2005 made a defence of Chav girls arguing that reduced social mobility means that an education as the traditional route out of poverty has limited value. Therefore Burchill claims that it was logical that Chavs would aspire to role models such as Jade Goody and Victoria Beckham.
edit
Derived and similar terms
There are many regional and local synonyms. For example, chav is equivalent to one definition of townie but is more specific in its usage.
Similar terms are scanger (in Ireland, Dublin in particular), spide (Northen Ireland), and ned (Scotland). In South Wales townie and scally are used.
A more comprehensive list of synonyms would include Pikey and Townie, as well as Bam, Bazza, Chaddite, Charver, Chavalier, Chavette, Chavster, Dumbo, Gazza, Hood Rat, Janner, Kev, Knacker, Ned, Ratboy, Rudeboy, Rudie, Scally, Schemie, Scumbag (Dublin, Ireland), Scutter, Shazza, Skanger, Spide, Steek, Stig, Westie (Auckland, New Zealand), Yarco, Telf, and Hatchy.
The act of adding superfluous and cosmetic modifications to something is known as chavving up (or shamming up in Ireland), and is particularly relevant if the modifications actually decrease performance. This has sometimes been used - occasionally derogatively but usually as a joke - of the case modding scene.
Related terms for urban or suburban miscreants can be found in the dictionary entry for "chav". The popularity of these terms has grown since the 1980s, and their usage reflects both serious and light-hearted issues arising from changes in British urban life.
There are a number of collective nouns for a group of chavs, among the most popular being a chavalanche or a chavalcade.
edit
Celebrity Chavs
Prince Harry has recently been cited, due to his penchant for baseball caps, sportswear, drinking, and drugs, and for his associations with glamour models. However, his aristocratic background would be at odds with the council estate stereotype.
For a certain group of chavs David and Victoria Beckham are particular role models. The footballer Wayne Rooney would fit the stereotype better, due to his use of abusive language and the anti-social behaviour depicted in the tabloid press.
Michael Carroll is widely regarded as being the epitome of chav culture. When the petty criminal and former dustman won the National Lottery Jackpot of over £9 million, he spent a large proportion of his winnings on gold jewellery, alcohol, drugs and cars.
The Reality Television star Jade Goody is widely regarded as a Chav rolemodel having had two highly publicised pregnancies with no obvious income.
Charlotte Church and Colleen McLoughlin are often referred to as "Queen of the Chavs" by tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines for their apparent lack of style, drunken behaviour, choice of laddish rich boyfriends and no appreciation for the value of money.
edit
See also
• Hooliganism / Yobs
• Charva
• British English
• Lumpenproletariat
• White trash
by mr ksor May 27, 2005
Scum of the Earth which you will find in poor places.
Chav actually stands for Council House And Violent.
Chav actually stands for Council House And Violent.
by Leonidas12434 July 11, 2008
Your everyday, typical bawbag.You may find a chav graffitying AYT or YTG. Although they think they are little gangsters the Triads would have their eggrolls for lunch. They carry weapons as a means of self defense some of which can be easily obtained in a domestic household. A favourite weapon for the chavs would be the machete, although deadly the chavs pretend they are Jackie Chan and severely injure themselves (stupid assholes).
A typical chav has huge ears, a fucked up nose and are as smart as a... wait sorry i dont want to offend the mule.
They wear shellsuits (usually Lacoste) to 'leg it fae the police' Berghauses and north face jackets.
A few chav quotes-'ecstasee sets me free' 'AYT in your area' 'you boozin thenight' and many others.
They wear shellsuits (usually Lacoste) to 'leg it fae the police' Berghauses and north face jackets.
A few chav quotes-'ecstasee sets me free' 'AYT in your area' 'you boozin thenight' and many others.
by Sati Singh January 10, 2005
Chavs are annoying rodents who usally bommard Croydon at 11.am for their regular mcdonalds with their 4 children-each child seems to be a different race.
they tend to have a different mad everyweek and the child dosen't even know who its father is.
They wear big, massive, chavy earings and chains which tend to go green in the rain but still wear it because they cant afford to buy another one. They also wear cheap tracksuits even in the summer.
Primark in Croydon is packed with chavs fighing over the cheapest earings in the shop.
I've often heard chavs speaking a different type of language to english. They use words such as, init or aint, bruv, sick, brrraaapp, ghetto,mcdonalds , ere and dere, and other stupid chavy phrases.
They are often seen hanging around in little chavy gangs and shouting out random things to people in the street.
I think it's so stupid how they try to get people to think they sre whealthy by having tattos in the "final reduction shop, closing down." and buying chains that are at their final sale stage because, everyone thinks their chavy apart from the chavs-of course.
Also what makes me laugh is THEY THINK THEY ARE NOT CHAVS!
they tend to have a different mad everyweek and the child dosen't even know who its father is.
They wear big, massive, chavy earings and chains which tend to go green in the rain but still wear it because they cant afford to buy another one. They also wear cheap tracksuits even in the summer.
Primark in Croydon is packed with chavs fighing over the cheapest earings in the shop.
I've often heard chavs speaking a different type of language to english. They use words such as, init or aint, bruv, sick, brrraaapp, ghetto,mcdonalds , ere and dere, and other stupid chavy phrases.
They are often seen hanging around in little chavy gangs and shouting out random things to people in the street.
I think it's so stupid how they try to get people to think they sre whealthy by having tattos in the "final reduction shop, closing down." and buying chains that are at their final sale stage because, everyone thinks their chavy apart from the chavs-of course.
Also what makes me laugh is THEY THINK THEY ARE NOT CHAVS!
chavs, croydon, primark, chains, mcdonalds, kfc, new addington, selsdon, poundland, 99p stores, argos, JD, thorton heath, purley, Sports world.
by xtrraaa besssstt 101 giirrl March 14, 2009
Stands for Council House And Violence.
Chavs usually live of benefits, vary in all ages, common to have a chav family,wear plently of tacky jewellery, teenage mums, council houses, yobs, thugs, rip off designers such as burbery, swear 24/7..
Chavs usually live of benefits, vary in all ages, common to have a chav family,wear plently of tacky jewellery, teenage mums, council houses, yobs, thugs, rip off designers such as burbery, swear 24/7..
by 0milly0 May 28, 2007
This wonderful breed of human trash, are a form of degenerate bred by a liberal policy that has encouraged whole neighbourhoods of these morally bankrupt scumsuckers.
The welfare state has generously provided these vaguely humanoid creatures the financial means to breed massive families of 8 or 9 brutalised child chavs in waiting.
Because of this the swine now outnumber true humans 6 to 1 in areas like Swanley and Orpington, in Kent
The women are easy to spot, they are the ones calling their two year old children c**ts because the poor little souls can't keep up with a woman about 4 ft taller than them. You see them every morning on their way to the off license.
The men are unctious, revolting, trogladytes who beg for fags and booze outside said offie and look for the first excuse to gang up with their mates to beat up a 10 year old.
They have a very effective method of indoctrinating their children with the chav ethos:(the following is irony by the way, just in case you're a bit slow)
1) Physical abuse - The chav father AND mother are very good at this. Why ask kids nicely to do something, when you can brain them with the remote control."I'm watching Jeremy Kyle"
2) Thieving as a lifestyle choice - It's how dad gets the little luxuries.
3) Normalisation of drug taking in the family home - Marijuana can make you a real man, eh kids? and psychotic, for extra fun, too!
4)Bravery is not how tough you are it's inversely proportional to how many of you can gang up on some poor mug. For extra points, film on your phone for entertainment later on...
It really is like this...I live in this kind of place. God I hate it! They must be the only group that truly lives up to its stereotype.
The welfare state has generously provided these vaguely humanoid creatures the financial means to breed massive families of 8 or 9 brutalised child chavs in waiting.
Because of this the swine now outnumber true humans 6 to 1 in areas like Swanley and Orpington, in Kent
The women are easy to spot, they are the ones calling their two year old children c**ts because the poor little souls can't keep up with a woman about 4 ft taller than them. You see them every morning on their way to the off license.
The men are unctious, revolting, trogladytes who beg for fags and booze outside said offie and look for the first excuse to gang up with their mates to beat up a 10 year old.
They have a very effective method of indoctrinating their children with the chav ethos:(the following is irony by the way, just in case you're a bit slow)
1) Physical abuse - The chav father AND mother are very good at this. Why ask kids nicely to do something, when you can brain them with the remote control."I'm watching Jeremy Kyle"
2) Thieving as a lifestyle choice - It's how dad gets the little luxuries.
3) Normalisation of drug taking in the family home - Marijuana can make you a real man, eh kids? and psychotic, for extra fun, too!
4)Bravery is not how tough you are it's inversely proportional to how many of you can gang up on some poor mug. For extra points, film on your phone for entertainment later on...
It really is like this...I live in this kind of place. God I hate it! They must be the only group that truly lives up to its stereotype.
by Gaz from orpington September 11, 2008
The absolute scum of modern Britain. They wear fake burberry, baseball caps, hoodies, designer logos like Adidas and Lonsdale, and just cause trouble to innocent people who have done nothing wrong to them. Chavs usuallly isten to crappy music like G-Unit and 50 Cent and other shitty rap stuff. They have no education whatsoever and can't seem to understand anything intellectual.
by Uumalius June 9, 2006