To think the term Schemie is even more reprehensible than Chav?

[ComposHat]

After reading another thread where baby names are being declared Chav or schemie by the op and a few others my blood is boiling a bit.

I live in Scotland and the phrase schemie gets used interchangeably with ned and chav.

I think schemie is by far the worst of the three. Chav and ned are nasty terms of abuse, but refer to a type of behaviour/manner of dress /lifestyle that the (ignorant) speaker is describing.

Schemie goes a step further (a housing scheme is the term used in Scotland for council estate) implies that an undesirable person or behaviour in type of behaviour is exclusive to and representive of people who live in local authority housing. My mother, grandparents and a lot of my friends grew up in council homes and not a single one of them display behaviour which could be described as 'schemie'

Sorry but I have never, ever heard the word 'chav' being used in reference to a rich person. My daughter almost didn't go to university because she was scared she 'wouldn't fit in'. That's why we should look into it. The way the words are used don't just point to people who are violent etc, it's to people from council estates who live on benefits and so on and so on. It effects how people view themselves. It's all well and good to ask why we should look into it if you've never been called any of those words. It's a bloody big issue

An earlier poster suggested that 'ned', 'schemie', 'chav' were not much different from 'posh' or 'hooray Henry'.

I think they are. Because, as Statiscally's comment suggests, they express relative wealth/status/power.

Ned, schemie, chav are used by people who consciously or unconsciously consider themselves rather better than the person or thing they are describing.

In contrast, 'posh' and 'hooray Henry' are terms often used (either enviously or as accusations of snobbery/exclusivity) to describe people who enjoy privileges/ possessions/advantages not enjoyed by the speaker.

Of course, all these terms may be used lightheartedly, as a joke or ironically, but I don't think that's the issue here.

Weelady, MIL is from Newhaven, and when we announced we were moving to Leith from said-estate in N. Edinburgh, said, 'Oh, I hope it's not one of the keely bits.' :o

Haha expat my DH is a leither we had our first house in leith, i hated it so got a c55(remember those) to my mums every day! Then I talked him into moving up my end!

TheRedStarburst, while I grew up on a council estate I went to high school in a different area - a fairly "posh" one. The term "chav" was most often used about a particular group (boys and girls) who lived in the posh area, most in rather fancy houses. But they smoked, drank, took various things, were tango orange, loud, obnoxious, generally ran around the area causing trouble, wore clothes with large gaudy branding etc across them. But very certainly not poor.

However I think they were generally used by people who considered themselves to be "better" although better wasn't necessarily financially differentiated IYSWIM?

Expat - I'd forgotten keely! Describing folk as "a wee keely" was a common one!

I think schemie is a terrible word cos it's just a general term for a person from a council estate and it suggests all those people are somehow lower than people who aren't schemies.

I know lots of people from council estates and most of them are as good as people who live anywhere else. I've known some dodgy ones too, mind.

It's just stupid to think 'schemies' have enough in common to describe them all with a single word.

WeeLady, I used to live on the C55 route at the opposite end to Leith....wonder if we are from similar areas?

TheRedStarburst Google David Beckham or Katie Price and you'll find plenty of references.
Chav as far as I'm concerned is nothing to do with where you live or how much money you have.

flora I grew up in a council house, but was picked on for being 'posh' because of the way I pronounced certain words and for the food I had for my lunch.
I was also picked on by the same people who also lived in council houses and off benefits for not being able to afford Nike and Adidas trainers and clothes.

Stat there is an area close to my area that was Posh too us and we called it spam valley, they used to live in there big fancy houses but ate spam for tea cause they couldn't afford to eat cause of there big mortgages when I think back what a lot of shit!!

Statistically yes, I do see what you mean. This might be the case in some situations, but even if you just google the word 'chav', the response is overwhelmingly classist.

We could well be

LOL, Wee, so that was you in looking distance of the Links, then? ;)

Near enough in looking distance to the links about a street away

Actually, DH has a cracking scar about his left eye and his mate, from said council estate in N Edinburgh, from being glassed in that all-too famous pub in Duke Street near the ScotMid. It's changed names so many times! LOL.

What did his ma said, 'I could have told you to stay oot o' there, it's well keely, everyone kens that!'

WeeLady, I think we may have grown up very close if spam valley is where I think it is (according to it's wiki anyway)

above, sorry. Rab got in the back of the heid so his scar is even worse.

I'm a schemie wean!

I always thought it was affectionate.

When I was at school (in Scotland) you got called a Scaffie. Usually for girls who never changed their clothes and wore the same stuff every day.

BEST time of my life, truly, in all my years, best were those 3 years in Leith (Queen Charlotte Street across from the private nursery in there).

I'd heard ned before but not schemie - pretty awful I agree

When I was at school (in Scotland) you got called a Scaffie.

Not heard that in yeeeeaaars!

Expat are you talking about marksman pub if so it wouldn't surprise me, I've phoned there looking for DH a few times after his work haha, the most horrid wee pub ever

Stat area I'm talking about is up the road from the hailes

It wiz a right Edinbugger word at the pink bus shelter skool! Youse are scaffies!

We never used scaffie it was a scaff haha not heard that in years either!