...to object to the use of the word 'chav'?

[MariaFormosa]

I wouldn't refer to any other group of people by a derogatory/contemptuous name, so why is this so widely accepted? Isn't it just as prejudiced as some well-known racist terms which, thank god, are unacceptable in everyday conversation? It's really starting to get to me when I hear people (even some pretty good friends) talk about "chavs" or something being chavvy - it makes me cringe ... yet I've not been quite brave enough to challenge/question it. Just read a post where someone referred to someone as being "a bit chavvy" .. AIBU to think it's being contemptuous? What does it really mean?

Its 'council house and violent'.

Its lazy and cruel and pathetic to use this sort of word. Its like 'pikey'. I cringe to high heaven when I hear this sort of word and want to hand the user a dictionary.

I don't doubt that some of the posters that object to the word 'Chav' will be among those who liberally label other people as 'snobs'. Remind me again why that is different? :o

It is very different. The word 'snob' isnt used to keep a whole class of people down. Its why 'nigger' is far, far worse than 'honky'. Not rocket science, really.

Chav's isn't the same as poor.In fact chavs are flash with their cash.They spend lots on certain labels .The Beckhams are chavs!

Lucy - In what way is chav being used to put a whole class of people down?

I come from a working class town in the Midlands (parents are still living there). DP comes from a working class part of Manchester. That doesn't stop us looking at some teenager wearing a Burberry wastecoat plus neck bling, and going 'Chav'.

Whenever I hear the term it is in connection with the person having no taste as opposed to that person's social class.

Chav (to me) has come along to replace the use of "townies" or "scallies" as they were when I was growing up. Nothing to do with class, more a style of dress. (As in if you wear a track suit and tuck the bottoms in your socks, then that's chavvy. And so on.) Chav doesn't imply working class or vice versa. My background is very working class but none of them are chavs. (Except perhaps my parents are now that they have pulled themselves up to the middle )

'Chav' has been a local term to describe residents of Chatham in Kent as far back as the 50's - my Mum and I grew up there and she remembers using it as a child. I certainly used it well before it was ever nationally known. Yes it's derorgatory but originally was more about where someone was born than how they dressed - over the years its changed, if you know the area the majority of the people fit the stereotype to a T! I don't have a problem with the term, there's far worse things people could be called.

I can think of worse things to be called

Its just the same as charver and it was said as charver years before chav.

I've never heard it used where I stay really, I've only come across it in magazines and when I was down in England for a bit.
I think we call them neds where I am in Scotland. It's for Non Educated Delinquent. I think lol.

I used charver growing up... (north east)

I still would
What is this council housed and violent? Meh

for Non Educated Delinquent. I think lol

It doesn't, that's a backronym. The term Ned predates the Second World War.

Standard English uses uneducated rather than non-educated. Perhaps those who are keen to tell us how 'non-educated' and delinquent Scotland's urban poor are, should address their own shortcomings first.

molly3478 - wasn't aware it was a competition but for the record, no it wasn't, no-one really knows where it was used first. And I never heard the word charver until I made my first Geordie mate in the mid 2000's ;)

You think using a derogatory to describe people who don't meet your exacting standards of 'taste' is OK? That's fine, then And whatever anyone says, it IS used mainly against people from a working class or poor background, or the 'nouveau riche', who have new money but working class tastes.

It creates an 'us and them' situation, and just isnt cool. I would be horrified if my kids grew up to be the sort of people who bandied about words like 'chav'

Im just saying that was used a long time before chav in some areas. I dont think there is a problem with the word (chav and proud of it )

What I do find objectionable about the word 'chav' is when well-to-do people use it as a synonym for 'working class' when that isn't the original meaning of the word.

You won't get writers in The Sun calling all working-class people 'chavs', but you will in the Daily Telegraph.

I object to the way they hijack language and use the media to make it fit their own narrow life experiences.
Like they have done with the word 'staycation' (suggesting that it means holidaying in one's own country, as opposed to its original meaning of spending annual leave at home with a string of day trips).

I live in a town where I'd say 50% of the people were working class (hate that term but you know what I mean). However very few of them would be considered Chavs.

However the ones who wear over the top designer gear (always with the brands showing), lots of bling jewellery, drive souped up cars with music blaring out of the window/sun roof and order well known brands of champagne in pubs I would consider Chavs and believe that they enjoy living up to this image. Agree with the poster who mentioned the Beckhams et al -nothing to do with poverty, all about the taste.

I think it all depends on the people you know and what you associate it with. Carl Gallagher fromShameless is my ultimate chav he is so sexy and definitely chavvy. I affectionately call my husband chavvy all the time. I dont see it as a deragatory term

But Lucy, by talking about people and say they are being lumped together because of their 'working class tastes' you are making a massive assumption yourself that working class equals 'chav'. I am from a very working class family, but none of my family would have the sort of things you would associate 'chavs' with. Far from it, they just have basic tastes in simple things...
I do not use the term myself, but most people who i know who use it are not using it to mean working class, more, that the people they are describing are what eould have been called townies, scallies, or just a bit common.

So does it depend on who's using it?

Read 'Chavs'. That is all.

"I wouldn't refer to any other group of people by a derogatory/contemptuous name, so why is this so widely accepted?"

Would you use the word "toff"?

It's not a nice word to use. It's replaced the word yob really and just means the same to me.
I don't think it is a class thing. To me it's all about behaviour. Someone from a public school can be a chav or a yob just as easily as someone from a sink comp.

I wouldn't ... am trying now to think of any blanket term I'd use for a section of society .. don't want to be in denial ... ummm...Can't absolutely swear I wouldn't, but I guess I was thinking along the lines of the now pretty taboo (depending on context) terms for different races/nationalities/sexualities...?

Will look at the book, too. Sounds good.

Chav to me is more to do with an attitude (a feckless one) and an image. So heavy on the JD sportswear, gold chains, headwear etc. I saw a hilarious looking chav recently. Looked a lot like Dappy from N Dubz. Trackies were tucked into his socks, Nike Air Max, massive wool hat balanced on top of head. Best bit - 3 staffies (with chunky bling collars/harnesses) by his side and huge dog paw print tattoos up the side of his neck! Equally though you see plenty of obviously wealthy people driving expensive cars looking seriously chav. Lots of hair extensions, orange tan, false nails and tits etc. Chav is about an image/mindset more than class/income I think.