Define "chav".

[Mozzer]

Question 3. Define the slang word "chav". Use no more than one sentence and 10 words.

This is a puzzler. If you really truly wish to bang the nail on the head, you have a challenge on your hands. I'm sure all of you can conjure up your typical chav stereotypes. It may involve the following:

-smokes
-drinks
-swears
-wears burberry/hoodies/tacky fake jewellery
-uneducated
-has a poor income
-lives in a council house
-violent
-has neon lights/a Kenwood sticker on their car
-has a stereo system worth more than the car
-is a grandparent at 35
-takes drugs

And so on. The list is endless. But how does one roll all of these into one easy definition? How do you clearly make that distinction between chavs and "everyone else"?

You might consider that a chav is an optimist who hopes that none of his actions will have any consequences whatsoever. For example, by smoking they hope that they will not develop lung cancer. "Well, er, me mate never got lung cancer, innit, so why would I?" Or when they drive like a boy racer: "All the uvver drivers will get out me way". This would account for their bafflement/anger when unfortunately there are effects from their actions.

But this could be disproved by the fact that when a chav wishes to cause someone physical harm, they spout phrases like "Ya gonna get ya head kicked in, mate!" which surely is not an optimistic phrase. And with the word "optimist" we tend to associate jolly, happy people. And chavs certainly do not fall into those categories. So we must consider other options.

Maybe they are aware of the consequences, but choose to ignore them. So in the previous examples, they overlook the fact that "their mate" has only been smoking for two months or the possibility that while "uvver drivers" might stay clear of their car, a brick wall may not.

However, they are surely hard pressed to ignore the dangers of taking drugs when teachers ram it into their faces every SRS lesson that people die from overdoses. It must be impossible to hear so many sad stories and still think it's safe/cool to get high.

Does this mean they are deaf to advice then? That they are too proud to be corrected (especially by some teacher; "would ya dare?!")? This could account for the way that they jeer at education and decide that they can manage in life without learning anything. But is true that pride > income? Surely no chav, however proud, actually wants to be confined to poverty?

Maybe not. Maybe they decide to make their living another way. Through crime. They could have a passion for crime, explaining their tendancy so steal, beat people up and have sex underage (or at least claim to, in order to look "hard" in front of their mates). Unfortunately, this theory does not cover much of the list as there is no law against burberry (more's the pity), Kenwood stickers or alcohol (not for consumption anyway; purchasing is a different matter).

So let us go back to the consequences area. They do not hope for a lack of consequence, nor do they ignore the possibility. They are incapable of considering them.

It is quite possible, and often thought, that a chav is lower on the evolutionary scale than your average human being. But if this theory proves correct, they are the lowest of the low. Every organism on the planet (and probably all of them in the universe too) has one goal: survival. But if these chav types do not recognise that they might be foiled in one way or another then there is no chance of their passing on DNA to the next generation. Even their aim in sexual acts is rarely (if ever) for reproduction but pleasure.

This mental incapacity of conjuring up possible negative effects of their actions can explain every one of the list:

-smoking will not damage their health
-nor will drinking
-swearing will not get them into trouble/detention, thus wasting their time
-wearing burberry/hoodies/tacky fake jewellery will not give them a bad image
-a lack of education will not lead to...
-a poor income or...
-living in a council house
-violence will not land them in serious legal trouble
-neon lights/Kenwood stickers on their car will not distract other drivers
-a stereo system worth more than the car will not pump out music so loud it will deafen everyone within ten metres
-having sex without protection will not make them grandparents at 35
-taking drugs does not risk their health or life

I conclude therefore that:

A chav is someone who cannot imagine consequences.

All suggestions or improvements to this scientific theory are welcome :)

[IrishSteve]

Did you know that chavs in Scotland are called Neds, in New Zealand they're called Bro's, and in Northern Ireland we don't have a collective name for them. Yet.

[Ninereeds]

A very interesting read well done! thoroughly enjoyable and on the whole i agree, apart from they are slight sociopathic i find.
There has always been one question that has bugged me, and hopefully you could help me out with this one?

What is the difference between a Chav and a Pike? I know there is one, and i have my own theories but i would like anothers input on this matter.
thanks much ( and points for you)

[Darth_Weebl]

Over in the North-West were currently calling them Chav/Scally's.

[Cjw]

Even their aim in sexual acts is rarely (if ever) for reproduction but pleasure.


That happens? Well fuck me senseless.

[Thomp]

Nice little read, one of the articles that I've enjoyed to date :) Your points are clearly thought out, and the odd bit of humour adds that little extra kick to it

Hope this goes on the front page

[albie_123]

In Australia we don't have "Chavs" exactly.

Our equivilant does not wear burberry, he wears eminem or dada jackets.

He is alot more car obsessed, and, luckily, a lot less violent/drunk.

We have no widely accepted name for them, but often people call them bogans.

[Bacon Machine]

I thougt chav stood for Council House And Violent, or was that just me imagining things.

[Flava Dave]

and in Northern Ireland we don't have a collective name for them. Yet.


Male : Spides
Female : Millies

[Fruitloop1664]

I thougt chav stood for Council House And Violent, or was that just me imagining things.

Same here.

[lachie 7]

In Australia we don't have "Chavs" exactly.

Our equivilant does not wear burberry, he wears eminem or dada jackets.

He is alot more car obsessed, and, luckily, a lot less violent/drunk.

We have no widely accepted name for them, but often people call them bogans.
They are mainly known as rats here in Canberra and they are very violent and or drunk. :nana:

[Furnie]

What is the difference between a Chav and a Pike? I know there is one, and i have my own theories but i would like anothers input on this matter.
thanks much ( and points for you)

I'm not sure but I always thought that a Pikie was a gypsy. Similar to chavs in that they have mostly the same charactaristics (So nice gypsies, if there is any, aren't counted,) but they live in caravans.

[faragher]

What is the difference between a Chav and a Pike? I know there is one, and i have my own theories but i would like anothers input on this Pikey is a derogatory and offensive term for a gypsy, and Chav is a derogatory and offensive term for a member of the working class / underclass.

So you can be either borderline racist, or just a snob, up to you...

[Al]

they spout phrases like "Ya gonna get ya head kicked in, mate!" which surely is not an optimistic phrase.
Sounds a bit overoptimistic to me :p

[Mozzer]

Feel free to replace the word chav with the word of your choice.

Chav, scally, townie, ned... whatever :)

As for pikes though... I have no idea.

Thanks for all the positive feedback people!

[FoxDhoj]

I thought Pikeys were a kind of gypsy, like Romas...

Bogans are amusing - they are Australia's equivalent to chavs, but completely different in a way. I also thought that Bogans are called Boy Racers in New Zealand, who we can sometimes refer to as Scallies...

[ADoorMadeOfPoop]

In America, these fine creatures are called posers, or wiggers. White people who try to act all ghetto, even though their father is a senator or a computer programmer. They are also obsessed with their cars.

http://media.damnfunnypictures.com/dfp/stupid_wigger_3.jpg

[Eccles]

http://media.damnfunnypictures.com/dfp/stupid_wigger_3.jpgAaaaaaaaaaand suddenly chavs don't seem so bad.

[Fruitloop1664]

http://www.cecimoz.co.uk/flashpanel/Chavs.htm

i hope this helps understand the common chav. :eng101:

[Dick Champion]

-having sex without protection will not make them grandparents at 35

*chortle*

[Phoen!X]

Aaaaaaaaaaand suddenly chavs don't seem so bad.

Yeah, but he's not gonna pull a knife on you just to steal your shoes.

It's been known to happen where i live

[Ninereeds]

Society today eh? Call me sociopathic, but I want to get in a fight with the next chav that wants or does not want one, just so i can put him back in his place, and maybe he will realise that his cock isn't all that big after all.
I find it pathetic that they pull knives on people just to take their shoes, and they despise goths and moshers. Being a bit of a metal head myself i think they deserve what ever is coming to them.
On second thoughts should we just arrange a massive gang war between chavs and everyone else? Probably sort out the problem much quicker.


Personally i only hate the way "gangsters" and "wiggas" look they generally have an allright attitude as long as you dont dis their homies or knock their biatch up behind their back.

I fail to remember when chavs actually came into existence, where i am, they used to be called pikes, but it didnt mean gypsies it just meant chav but a bit leaner and 'ard lookin'

[mandyque]

I wouldn't say that 'Chav' describes working class folk at all. It may differ in different places but this is what I would call a chav:

somebody who:
wears burberry
wears a baseball cap with the peak very high on their heads
wears tracksuit bottoms tucked into their socks
hangs around shops drinking and intimidating people because they are too stupid to think of anything to do
soups up their car with neons and spoilers and blasts godawful 'Happy Hardcore' out of the vehicle
talks using so much slang that normal people can't decipher what they are saying and drops letters left right and centre to make translation even more difficult
thinks it's hilarious to beat up goths and moshers and believe they are insulting said goths and moshers by calling them 'goffs' and 'moshas'
rides around on bikes which are way too small for them, especially very noisy kiddy motorbikes and doesn't understand the basic rules of the road like 'do not ride on the path'
finds it hilarious to throw stones at old peoples windows
robs their family to buy skag

but enough about my neighbours :ninja:

[Eccles]

I wouldn't say that 'Chav' describes working class folk at all.Very true, to be working class you actually have to have a job (or want one). Still it's something for them to aspire to. :p

[Ninereeds]

Village Idiot used to be a job.

[Roxsie]

In Nottingham they used to be called Nah-dans because those are the main words they use. There was also a sub sect called mini-Nahs who were under 16 and were even more stupid e.g one of the insults a group of them came up with and thought was good was "your dad's a man"

this website is one of the best for defining them chav scum (http://www.chavscum.co.uk/)

[Martinus]

Male : Spides
Female : Millies
Indeed, smickher is also a good, catch-all term for these granny-terrorising lovlies.

[mandyque]

e.g one of the insults a group of them came up with and thought was good was "your dad's a man"


ROFLMAO! OMFG I don't believe my dad is a MAN!

2 chav kids once shouted at me 'your brother and your son are moshers'. REALLY??????????? :shock: they dress in a lot of black, listen to rock music etc. so I did suspect, but thank you chavs for confirming that for me. :notworthy

[viralstar]

we have them in ireland aswell.. they're more or less the same but in some aspects they're sort of adapted to irish living e.g. their accents are different but equally challenging to understand and we call them knackers which used to be slang for the travelling community but now we have settled knackers as well which are exactly like chavs so people under thirty call them knackers usually aswell.

[Zhyl]

Village Idiot used to be a job.

Monty Python heh heh.

This has inspired me to do an article on the other menaces in life. Namely, trolls and the opposite to that, geeks. Please be aware that the term "geek" has several applications, and I will explain which are the ones to be careful of.

[White Tiger]

rides around on bikes which are way too small for them, especially very noisy kiddy motorbikes and doesn't understand the basic rules of the road like 'do not ride on the path'

I find it rather funny how some of the 'toughest' chavs go round the town on little pink barbie bikes and when they stop they like lean on the front trying to act cool and if they you like just a little over the top they'll say 'Do you like my wheels?'

I also don't get why they call 'goths' 'goffs' to try anf offend them, it doesn't make any sense but maybe they say that because if someone called them a chav they would feel hurt about it :rolleyes: stupid people who haven't got sticks and stones may brake my bones but words will never hurt me.

[Katie_D]

BMX bikes are the worst.

I find it hard to be intimidated by a fully grown chav riding around on a bike that looks like it's designed for Action Men, with his knees up to his ears.

And Mozzer, great article there. :)

[mooatr]

This thread could easily be moved into debates, I think.

As for chavs, two people I know have been assaulted by these types in the past month, for absolutey no other reason than the fact that they are not a chav. And this in the relatively quiet neighbourhood of machynlleth (that's a whole town) in wales. Violence has been on the increase recently, and nearly all of the people on the initiating side could be labelled as chavs.
I don't like to stereotype as a rule, but gawd! These people are asking for it.
Pikey is a derogatory and offensive term for a gypsy, and Chav is a derogatory and offensive term for a member of the working class / underclass.

So you can be either borderline racist, or just a snob, up to you...
Not all true. I think the word pikey is a stupid one. I don't know why anyone should have anything against gypsies.

Anyway, a chav in my world is not a derogatory and offensive term for the working class, exactly. The chavs came from the working class after thatcher did something, and their culture keeps getting worse (in the opinions of everyone else).

/rant

Nice article.

[Belcherdude1992]

Derived from Chatham in Kent, this term can be applied loosely to every culture with a nasty, thieving element. There are many variants of this creature but all are subject to the following commonalities:

Chavs are completely Amoral, having never been subjected to right and wrong by their inattentive, uncaring and often absent parents.

Chavs are part Magpie, evidentially supported by their love of all things shiny, or as vaccuous, illiterate street-slang would say 'Bling'. They can be seen twokking from the Jewelry counter in Argos/Index.

Whatever their ethnic background, Chavs have a built-in affinity to hip-hop/R&B, even if they are inherently racist (see the Scottish). They see their life as glamorous and cool.

Chavs are for the most part, extremely stupid. However, some of them render a form of low cunning, which can be misinterpreted as intelligence. However this is false. A Chav has no desire to better themself through honest means nor learn anything outside of car modification.

All chavs think that they are nails. Again, this is false. Sitting in a beaten up nova smoking lamberts does not precipitate a healthy body. The irony being that a Chav owns mainly sportswear, yet will only break a sweat if running from the police.

Chavs are incredibly fertile beasts, and are highly successful breeders. Where they come unstuck is having to look after the offspring which their 13 yr old drunken fumble produces. More often that not the child will crow to be a Chav, having received no more guidance on life than the parent.

Chavs have a fond love for cars, as well as a Vin Diesel fixation. Rather than buy a nice car to start with, a chav will spend all their dole and tax-free labouring cash on upgrading a 10 year old car with 200,000 miles on the clock. The end product will invariably be a luminous monstrosity with at least one serious collision to it's name.
Come back with my bumper, you fucking Chav thief.
there you go

[clarkie-mole]

Chavs....... what is there purpose in life. I was walking through my local highstreet yesturday (friday night) and i saw a girl that looked about ten trying to buy ciggerettes and alcohol....lawl. Also when they get told to do some work or be quiet they usually respond with 'i didnt do nuthin' when the correct term is ' i didnt do anything'. But they are so cool and hard because they carry knives and have yellow teeth (Some Are Really Chavvy And Stupid iT Is Cunning)

[Smidge91]

Smidge91's official Dictionary, page 15:
Chav- a scumbag
page72:
Scumbag- a chav.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8c/Chav.jpg/180px-Chav.jpg

[Acid]

I heard the word chav came from Romanian for boy. But I still believe in the council house and vicious animal method.

I hate being called a mosher, im not a mosher, to be classed as a mosher shouldnt i have been in a mosh-pit, somthing which I havent been doing lately. And the way they act around you is crap as well, what I find more annoying though is the kid chavs.Most older chavs I know are actually quite nice and wont bother you too much, its when you get some 3 foot tall prat called Wayne, or Grant with a previously stated "crap bike" that you get into an argument.

[bionic sheep]

Would it be terribly out of place of me to say that most people in this thread sound like elitist tossers?

To say chavs are some kind of 'lower form' of human beings is the biggest pile of elitist wank I've ever heard. They are just people, exactly like 'us'. They simply subscribe to a different set of social values to 'us' - and I keep putting 'us' into inverted commas because I think even aknowledging that it's 'us' against 'them' is a stupid idea.

Yes, I fully agree that people who crash cars and attack people should be punished. But they are what we call criminals. Chav does not equal criminal, any more than emo kid equals suicide.

God, I hate this kind of thread.

[Acid]

I think we've had that argument before. And from my point of view most chavs are lower forms of human beings, just as i'd say that paedophiles and rapists are. Chavs are not in my opinion nice people, to me they are aggravating people with no sense and little respect for anyone. Does that mean I want to kill them all, no, but it does give me a very low opinion of them.

[pink_shoes]

And from my point of view most chavs are lower forms of human beings, just as i'd say that paedophiles and rapists are.

Sorry, WHAT?
You put people who follow a certain trend/style on the same level as sex offenders?

[bionic sheep]

Paedophiles and rapists are not lower forms of human beings. They are just people, like you and like me, that have somehow got so fucked up in their lives that they see what they do as 'right'.

Our definitions of 'right' and 'wrong' are no more valid than theirs, when you think about it - it's all just people trying to justify what they are doing to themselves. However, we are in the majority, so we enforce our values upon them. Which I fully agreee with, because otherwise society would be chaos.

However, it doesn't give us the right the classify them as 'lower' human beings. They are the same as us, they've just got messsed up. We need to rehabilitate them back into society, and if that isn't possible, keep them locked away.

I don't even know why I'm having this discussion, because equating chavs with rapists and paedophiles in that way is stupid. They are the same, yes, but then again the rapists and paedophiles are just the same as us, just with a different set of values.

[Acid]

My friends life is absolute hell because of chavs, thats why I class them so low, I dont compare them to sex offenders I was saying that I dont like them.I could say that about most things I dont like, we have had this argument before, it all depends on what you class as a chav. You may class it as a trend, I dont.

Thats why its so difficult to argue about this, If you class them as being anti-social, well goths can be too. If you say you have to wear Burberry to be a chav then your just being stupid.

[bionic sheep]

It's one thing to dislike a certain type of behaviour, but to classify those who practice it as subhuman? That's what I have a problem with.

[Acid]

I dont class them as sub-human, thats going to far, I would never class someone as subhuman, but I do look down on someone who finds enjoyment in intimidation and threatening behaviour. Thats what I meant.

[Ninereeds]

Sorry to but into your argument, but do you not think that a well established doctor is a higher ranked human than a spotty bad mannered teenager who works in macdonalds?

I think that they are a lower class rank of human, and yes i do put them below me. How can someone who has smoked since the age of 10 and bunks off school to go sit in the park and drink white lightning, possibly be seen as "above" any of the people here, who obviously have a good background of education.

last year when i was 14, i was with some friends in the town centre just sat down and talking, a group of 6 chavs came up to us and started asking "can we be all mosh bosh like you, yea?" and then half our group walked away, leaving me with 2 people who arent 5 foot 3 yet, and my dutch friend, who is actually quite strong. Despite us doing nothing and just telling them to go away ans stop bothering us, one of them threatened to pull a knife out. In the middle of a shopping centre. At lunch time.

I shouted at him "go on, get your knife out!" and thankfully loads of people turned round to look at him, and the guards from HMV came out and talked to them, so me and my friends left whilst they were occupied.

Do you still think that a person who threatens someone with a knife for politely asking them to go away is on the same level of the mammalian hierarchy as you?

[bionic sheep]

Yes. Yes I do. Quite simply.

Treating people like they are lower than you will make them act like that. It's a genuine sociological concept, and I'd name it if it weren't for the fact that I can't remember the name. If you treat people like they are knife weilding, evil, arsehole scum, that is how they will act.

Try treating people like people. There will always be arseholes. I can accept that. I've had more than my fair share of trouble in my days from 'chavs', but I don't think they are subhuman. Just people who are misguided. And one day, everything bad they do will be balanced out. So good luck to them.

Everyone is the same.

[faragher]

Sorry to but into your argument, but do you not think that a well established doctor is a higher ranked human than a spotty bad mannered teenager who works in macdonalds?

I think that they are a lower class rank of human, and yes i do put them below me. How can someone who has smoked since the age of 10 and bunks off school to go sit in the park and drink white lightning, possibly be seen as "above" any of the people here, who obviously have a good background of education.
Lower class of human? Or just people with different culture and values to you. Also, I have smoked since the age of 10, bunked off school a fair bit, drank a load of cider, and I still have a decent education and job.

You need to understand that not everyone rates themselves by the same things that you do. Level of education, what job you do - these are very middle class status goals. Other status goals may include the car you drive (which brings up a whole different set of definitions of 'good'), how much money you earn (and you can earn loads as a drug dealer or a thief), and how much respect you command in your local area.

I think the idea of chav is just a way for us to be rude about people who have different sets of status/goals than the now dominant middle classes.

Also, whilst we're on the subject - you may have been hassled by 'chavs', but when I was a kid it was the metallers who were the designated 'scum' and you used to hear about being violent and unpleasant. And before that it was someone else. And there are plenty of violent upperclass scumbags as well.

[Cjw]

Just because someone is a doctor or a respected member of the community, doesn't mean they arn't a complete arse with it. Harold Shipman for example...

[weebl roolz]

Nice, interesting read!

I just have one gripe though..

I live in a council house, and i do not wear burberry, fake bling, or any shit like that.

Now, my mum did not get much education. This is not because she is lazy, but i'm not going into the reasons as it's private. When she married my dad we had enough money to live reasonably well, but not to buy a house. We live in a council house now. So, the fact of people living in a council house does not neccessarily count as chavish behavior, in my opinion, judging from my experiences.

[eleanor]

Chav debates = done to death. New dead horse to flog, please

[retardedhell]

As for chavs, two people I know have been assaulted by these types in the past month, for absolutey no other reason than the fact that they are not a chav.

chavs really are the only people that have ever been threatening to me; I used to bullied at junior school a lot, those bullies grew up to be chavs. I was spat in the face the other day by a chav because i walked past him.....

and my mate ash was hospitalized for a week by two chavs because he had longish hair which apparently made him "emo" and deserved a beating.


as for tiny "chavlings" as i like to call them, i just find them hilarious. tiny people who try to threaten you with voices higher than a drag queen on helium? hilarious i tell yee. a simple push to the side with the back of your hand soon sorts them out.

another way to get round all chavs is to simply shout them down. as soon as you make yourself seem bigger and harder than them by simply shouting, they back off, worked for me before, but you need a damn loud voice.

oh and one last thing...

why do they think the vauxhall nova is a good car? IT JUST ISNT!

fantastic article by the way, made for a good read and enlightened me no end :notworthy

[i-effin-rule]

well if you ask me, and not one of you did (swines), you cant look at a chav and know it. i get loooooooooads of crap off them for being a 'dirty lil goff' but i wont judge someone to be a chav as soon as look at them. they're chavs when they act like them. i have plenty of trackie-wearing friends that have nothing against other people for no reasons and arent the chav scum everyone assumes they are. if i judged them......id be just as bad as a chav.

[Nataliation]

Hmm....I have a mixed opinion on chavs. I mean, I have had some issues with chavs in the past, some friends getting into fights and some even being sent to hospital just because they "look different"

However, I do agree that they are misguided as bionic sheep said, because well they are. There is peer pressure and all sorts which they could of caught up in. As well as this, I work at a shop on a rather chavvy estate and well, some are right arseholes, and others are generous and polite, and if you saw them in the street, you wouldn't know that.

Chavs, or the look of chavs have gave them an awful reputation really. Seems everywhere that has some form of "chav", but I admit, many just judge them by their appereance, the same way they do with "goths" to be honest...

[Jedi-Gemstone]

Chavs....hmmm well I had a spot of trouble with a group of so called 'chavs' one time, so I'm not 100% fond of some of them, because their just mean acting all tough in a group. That type bug me like hell....
Although that doesn't say their all like that, I've met some really nice chavs, so really its the same with any groups.
You have the bad ones and the good ones, and unfourtanetly the bad ones give the good ones a bad image.

[retardedhell]

Well it's mainly the way that a lot of them have the sole aim of looking threatening. The whole hood up thing gives me the idea that they want to hide thier faces incase they fancy pulling a knife on someone.

I mean I know "goths" and "emos" wear hoodies aswell but that just tells me they're depressed or something :/

But then that's my stereotypical view.

If I understood WHY they had to have thier hoods up maybe I wouldn't feel so damn threatened every time I walk past a group of them.

That and if they would stop making stupid noises and saying I was a gay emo everytime I walk by them.

Even though I'm not emo, I just have longish hair :/

[Jedi-Gemstone]

That and if they would stop making stupid noises and saying I was a gay emo everytime I walk by them.

Even though I'm not emo, I just have longish hair :/

I've been accused of being a goth by chavs, I think they do it to the general public, and all I had on when I walked past was dark jeans and a Linkin Park hoody, little did they realise I had a green top on underneath it but no no, the hoody makes me a goth apparently :rolleyes:

[Ninereeds]

i understand what everyone is saying about the "good chavs" that do appear occasionally, unfortunately i only know 2, my friend oli who lives up in scarborough, and my friends dad. who is about 50. all the others round my area unforunately are the bad type, in a group of 5 or 6. I was out on my bike cycling up a stupidly big hill when i heard the fucking annoying whine of a mini motorbike, and yes, it was the chav who leads the group, and i hate most. In a very jovial tone, he asked "do you want a fight?" as if it was an every day occurence. i thought about it as we were almost at the top of the hill (before i go any further, this guy, called grant, has been hassling me every time ive seen him for about 2 years) but i knew if i said yes, he woulda turned that stupid moped round and sped to the bottom of the hill, gathered his crew and come and kicked the shit out of me.

I understand the peer pressure thing to become a chav and terrorize the neighborhood but at 10 years old you should probably still be getting hugs from your mum when you get home from school, i know quite a few mates who still had that. they shouldnt be out smashing car wing mirrors for shits and giggles.

I also recognise that not everyone in a coucil house is a chav, but hey, it wasnt me that made the term "council house and violent" up so its just what i use to define them.

going back to peer pressure, i cant see what the benefit of going round at 10 drinkign cheap tesco cider, sucker puching old ladies and smoking yourself to death is. sure you look "cool" but anyone with any sense at all would realise its all rubbish. Ive never smoked drugs or ciggarettes and i have a perfectly happy life with lots of friends and i feel safe pretty much wherever. I dont feel the incessant need of a "crew" to help me out if i get into trouble. This is kinda tagging onto my point about them being "sub human" as people put it. people who have common sense would say no thanks and leave them. however in some respects maybe if they are stupid enough to accept it, then they probably deserve the slow death they are dealing to themselves, driviing their vauxhall astras around at 60mph in the housing estate and drinking whilst doing that. As long as they dont bother me too much in their short lived lives i dont suppose i care for them. It's only the ones that go for me or other innocent people, like everyone said for looking "different"

[Mr. Maark]

Good read, I've seen most of the points you made actually happen (good old Weymouth) in person... though my two pence (not a two pence coin, two pennies!) on your ending theory is that a chav is someone who cannot imagine ANYTHING. But hey, it's only because I've had to suffer 'em for so long now. Yay for violent underage drinkers plus Asda's under 21 policy!

[G0D]

Official Wikipedia definition.

"Chav (also Chavette (female chav)) is a slang term in the United Kingdom which appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005[1][2] . The origins of the term are unknown but it has been suggested that the word stems from Council Housed And Violent or (the lesser believed) CHeltenham AVerage.

The term "chav" refers to a subcultural stereotype of people fixated on fashions such as flashy "bling" jewellery (Generally gold), and designer clothing with the beige Burberry pattern (most famously the baseball cap which has since been discontinued by the company), and such brands as Lonsdale, Berghaus, Burberry, Von Dutch, Louis Vuitton, Stone Island, Kappa, Adidas, Nike, and best-known Sergio Tacchini. Musically chavs also tend to have a different taste mainly involving rap, dance music and an unusual type of music known as New Monkey. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.

There are a large number of synonyms and regional variations of "chav", including "scally", "townie", "kev", "ned" "Mallie", "Pikey", and "charva".[3] It has been suggested that "charva" (or "charv") predates "chav" as a dialect word in North East England (where the term would be used in referring to an unruly young mine-worker) and Edinburgh, Scotland, and that "chav" may be a derivative term; they at least appear to share the same possible etymology in the Romani word "chavi" [4]. The Cockney term chavvy for a baby or toddler has been in use for decades and almost certainly derives from "chavi". In some regions, Chavs are referred to as "Burbs", given their association with Burberry clothing. The term "ned" is the widely accepted term commonly used throughout Scotland to describe a "chav" and is sometimes explained as an acronym of "non-educated delinquent". The use of the word "chav" can also be traced to the town of Chatham, Medway in Kent, where the word has been in use for several generations to describe a person on the dole. To be "on the dole" was to be "on the chav". It was a local joke that people from Chatham dressed a certain way and were frequently on the dole, which led to the term "Chatham Chav".

Many folk etymologies have sprung up to explain the origins of the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" [5] and "Council House Associated Vermin". Another commonly cited false etymology derives from school slang that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College supposedly used to describe less desirable young men of the town - "Cheltenham Average" or Ch-av [6], though the article states that few, if any, were aware of this connection in either the school or the town.


Usage
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. In popular usage, the word has largely supplanted both "pikey" (and thus the potential racial slur of a word that was originally applied only to Romani or Irish travellers) and (in the South East) "kev" as the pejorative term du jour for underclass youth 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. These include ChavScum and its spin-off ChavTowns.

Brand name athletic clothing and shoes. Stereotypically, this might include white trainers and tracksuits.
Designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive tartan of Burberry
"Bling": that is, gold jewellery — in particular conspicuous earrings and trinkets on chains for women, and gold sovereign rings for men.
For Boys - Sports caps and hoodies. Often both are worn, the hood pulled up over the baseball cap.
Sports or jogging trousers, often tucked into sports socks, usually white. These are also referred to as "tracky Bs", "trackies" or "tracky bottoms", worn falling down.
if female, wears thickly applied make-up, makes heavy use of fake tan, large hoop-earrings and has a hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail (called a "Croydon facelift" [9] or "council-house facelift").
owns a modified car, usually with a basic original specification, but decorated in a gaudy style. The Vauxhall Nova is one of the many small hatchbacks associated with this group.[10] It is therefore associated with Max Power magazine.
aspires to the latest mobile phone and other mobile gadgetry. Typically these include the Motorola RAZR series phone and iPod Shuffle music player.[11]
A charva is someone from the "unworking class" — living off benefits and not actively seeking work. It is also often used to specifically refer to the children of such people and not the parents themselves. Typical elements of being a charva is someone who:

lives on council estates and other low-income neighbourhoods, often supported by the "dole" [10] (unemployment benefit / Income Support)
Takes part in under-aged drinking and sex (and, consequently, is associated with teenage pregnancy).[10]
congregates and loiters in areas such as shopping centres [12], corner-shops and fast food restaurants [13].
is associated with crass, loud, in-your-face drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities. This includes unprovoked attacks on members of the public (see happy slapping), vandalism, verbal abuse, and drug abuse (see ASBO). Often these crimes are committed purely for the fun of it and not the material gain most criminals engage in their activities for.[citation needed]
[edit]
Criticism of the stereotype
The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; many argue that it amounts simply to classism, and that 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" [14], and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class.[15] 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. [16] 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.

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 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 [25].

Footballer Wayne Rooney [26] and girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin [27], rapper Lady Sovereign [28], glamour model Jordan [29] (AKA Katie Price), actress Danniella Westbrook[15], and former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody [30] have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

Indie/Brit Pop band Arctic Monkeys' song "A Certain Romance" describes the aesthetic of "chav" with the lyrics "although they might wear classic Reeboks / or knackered Converse / or tracky bottoms tucked in socks".

British band The Libertines have also expressed their distaste of 'chavs'. Their song "Time for Heroes" gives us the classic observation, "There are fewer more distressing sights than that of an English man in a baseball cap."


Sorry for the uneditedness.
I hope that sums it all up.

I find chavs... A waste of skin.

[Mr. Maark]

AHAHAHAHA... Yesterday two of them tried to use a Self-Scan checkout at Asda... Took them five whole minutes before they figured out it wasn't open... Despite the big THIS LANE IS CLOSED sign across the screen. :D

[zero defex.]

I don't like to use the word chav (or any other stereotype at that, excepting maybe casual or trendy sometimes) but I always liked the comical acronym I heard for it, Council House Associated Vermin. :P

I'd like to ask anyone reading this to please not be so narrow-minded as to use any stereotype such as chav or grunger or whatever because it really degrades society on a whole.

In all social stereotypes we have people who bring the rest down. I go to local gigs and there are kids there in Atreyu shirts, Converse (Shudder), whatever, who sit outside drinking plastic-bottled white cider or worse, smoking, swearing, shouting at people, and as a result local music organisers have been banned from certain venues.

To put a label on somebody is sometimes a very hurtful thing to do. I wear clothing from River Island, H&M, Hugo Boss, Topman, Dunlop, whatever, but I listen to Rock music, metal, Drum & Bass, Jazz, whatever. I feel very misunderstood sometimes when people call me a grunger or whatever just because I happen to be listening to At The Drive-In when they're talking to me.

You'll find bad people wherever you go, there's nothing you can do about it. But don't go throwing these people in with a lot of decent individuals and just going "That's it, you're all problems", it doesn't achieve anything.

Apologies if I've gone on a bit or hijacked the thread, I just felt the need to get that off my chest. Thank you.

zd.

[Chilly pepper]

But chav is not a slang word. It's a political word that stands for council housed and violent.

[Skwee]

No it's not.
That is one of the many silly made up beginnings of the word. It's not a political term at all. The political term would be more like 'proles' or more accurately, 'yobs'. Thats what theyre called in all of the political gossip about ASBOs and such.
Like most slang words, it's going to be near impossible to pin down where the word came from.

[v!Ew`]

Even their aim in sexual acts is rarely (if ever) for reproduction but pleasure.

That happens? Well fuck me senseless.



i lol'd for a long time. :)