Used to describe the typical burbury clad, fashion obsessed idiotic teenage under-class in England, usually the South-East.
A writer in the Independent thought it derived from the name of the town of Chatham in Kent, where the term is best known and probably originated, others have reported it as Cheltenham. But it seems that the word is from a much older underclass, the gypsies, many of whom have lived in that area for generations. Chav is almost certainly from the Romany word for a child, chavi, recorded from the middle of the nineteenth century. We know it was being used as a term of address to an adult man a little later in the century, but it hasn’t often been recorded in print since and its derivative chav is quite new to most people.
Other terms for the class also have Romany connections; another is charver, Romany for prostitute. Yet another is the deeply insulting pikey, presumably from the Kentish dialect term for gypsy that was borrowed from turnpike, so a person who travels the roads.
Note - a female Chav is often called a Chavette.
A writer in the Independent thought it derived from the name of the town of Chatham in Kent, where the term is best known and probably originated, others have reported it as Cheltenham. But it seems that the word is from a much older underclass, the gypsies, many of whom have lived in that area for generations. Chav is almost certainly from the Romany word for a child, chavi, recorded from the middle of the nineteenth century. We know it was being used as a term of address to an adult man a little later in the century, but it hasn’t often been recorded in print since and its derivative chav is quite new to most people.
Other terms for the class also have Romany connections; another is charver, Romany for prostitute. Yet another is the deeply insulting pikey, presumably from the Kentish dialect term for gypsy that was borrowed from turnpike, so a person who travels the roads.
Note - a female Chav is often called a Chavette.
"I was walking down Romford High Street and I was surrounded by Chav scum. This is why I hate that place on a Friday night."
by DC January 13, 2005
Get the chavmug. this is for my fellow confused americans. Simply put, chavs are the british equivalent of wankstas and wiggas here. Just imagine your local eminem wannabe, but more posuer-ish and with a hilarious an unintelligible accent.
by aristocrims1 December 11, 2007
Get the chavmug. There are people in the world who think that the label "Chav" is classist, and refers to those who are working class. However, once and for all, it does not. "Chav" in fact refers to those who have absolutely no respect for anything at all, though in fact demand to be respected all the same. They can be found spitting on the streets; they can be found sitting in bus shelters cadging a smoke off other people; they can be found in courtrooms everywhere for street crimes. They will happily attack anyone who so much as looks at them (Ex. 1), all the while hurling abuse at people who are differently dressed/significantly older/significantly younger/in a smaller group. They somehow eke amusement out of destroying that which has been created by others, including bus shelters and spraying graffiti over fresh paint. They refuse to accept any responsibility for anything, ever, and if they find themselves in a tight spot in life, it is always someone else's fault. (Ex. 2.) They also have a tendency to sponge off the state. For example, somewhere in not-so-Great Britain there is a family who have literally 12 children. Nobody in the family works, and because of the system the children allow the parents to claim £44,000 a year in benefits. That's close to £4000 a month (I myself work, and earn around £600), and the parents then go on to claim that they can't stop having kids "because they cannot afford condoms". They receive £4K a month and they can't spare a tenner for some johnnies?
All in all, chavs are indeed the scourge of Britain and I would urge the politicians of Britain to realise that hoodies don't need a hug, they need a lengthy prison sentence and good rehabilitation to make sure they don't reoffend.
And a swift kick up the arse wouldn't go amiss either.
All in all, chavs are indeed the scourge of Britain and I would urge the politicians of Britain to realise that hoodies don't need a hug, they need a lengthy prison sentence and good rehabilitation to make sure they don't reoffend.
And a swift kick up the arse wouldn't go amiss either.
1
Person: <glances up at chav so that he or she may avoid walking into them.>
Chav: Wot u lookin at m8? <Attacks person>
2
Far be it from me to talk about myself while defining something, but I once had a conversation with a chav who said that she failed in school because she talked in class, and she said that it was her teacher's fault for not being able to shut her up.
Person: <glances up at chav so that he or she may avoid walking into them.>
Chav: Wot u lookin at m8? <Attacks person>
2
Far be it from me to talk about myself while defining something, but I once had a conversation with a chav who said that she failed in school because she talked in class, and she said that it was her teacher's fault for not being able to shut her up.
by TheACM September 5, 2008
Get the chavmug. You wanna know what a chav is? Google Image search it, cos it disturbed me for life!!!
And so you get big groups of chavs hanging around outside McDonalds/bus stops/shopping centres trying to look intimidating... Well until my equally intimidating emo friends come over, have a fight, and flatten them, of course.
And so you get big groups of chavs hanging around outside McDonalds/bus stops/shopping centres trying to look intimidating... Well until my equally intimidating emo friends come over, have a fight, and flatten them, of course.
Chav phrases include, "uite?", "brap", "bruv", "bling", "i is sayin", "boss", "class" and "Whatever, Yo Mother works at McDonalds," usually with some vulgar hand gestures.
by XXX_RaNdOm_cHiLd_XXX September 10, 2008
Get the chavmug. Mentally retardedfuckwits who have no sense of style and wear trackies,fake clothing,"bling" fron argos and baseball caps(preferrably tn or burberry). They drink cheap cider and often have kids before they turn 20. The are the English equivilant of wiggas and are the most hated social group in the UK. They use strange langauge such as "innit" and "safe" and "wotchu lukin at?!" /
"'ere mate will you lend us a fag ,coz like i giv me bird mi last un for her kid n i need 1 innit coz um, coz if u dont ill fukin kik ur hed alr8?" . For celebrity parodies of chavs see "Lauren" from Catherine Tate,Ali-G or the classic, "vicky pollard from little britian". For a real chav see devvo.
by AntiChav April 27, 2006
Get the chavsmug. chavs are tramps who thnk they are so cool by standing in the streets, they are desperate people ,they are tramps,dumb,they have stupid attitude problems, and they are tramps...TRAMPS.TRAMPS
male:attitude poblem,wear track suits ,blonde hair usualy or dyed blonde ,addidas trainers and crap...well there r loads but i can't sit here telling every gud thing(no gud things) abt them and bad things
by yaz April 14, 2005
Get the chavsmug. by lee anthony rudling May 15, 2005
Get the chavmug.