to find it strange how some MN's are SO offended by the word Chav

[falolenhard]

Chav:
meaning a lower-class person who displays brash and loutish behavior and wears real or imitation designer

Snob:
A person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors

Both these terms are derogatory.
So why is it ok to call someone a snob (I bet nobody would say a word and it wouldn't get pulled)- but not a chav on here?

To be offended by one and not the other is a form of Inverted Snobbery?

I couldn't give two hoots either way, just like I don't care about c*nt. I don't use the word but I don't find it personally offensive.

But I do think you have a point with chav versus snob, yet one seems more acceptable than the other...

YANBU, some people just like an argument

Yanbu, some people love to score points. From who I don't know.

So if somebody said He's a right effing Snob. That would be ok.

Snob is not used much these days, is it?

Chav is also a bit dated now

YANBU. It's funny how people get so worked up about the use of the word chav on here, it's really not that bad.

And you have a very valid point about the double standard when it comes to using the word snob, I completely agree with you.

Chav is often used as a lazy way of labelling all poor people as shit really - in that context it's bound to get backs up - snob ...not so much

All three terms are offensive and disrespectful. (Most particularly c**t) - absolutely hate that with a passion, and if my teenagers ever say it, I threaten to squirt washing-up liquid into their mouths. Vile! (I haven't yet, but it's pending)

I find it strange how some people are so unoffended by certain words.
When I was growing up, we were always taught that if you have to swear or be insulting to make your point, then you're not very intelligent. Therefore, if you know that some people will be offended by your use of words, why would you use them in public unless you intend to offend and be deliberately antagonistic?

I have just always remembered that. Don't get me wrong - I can swear like a trouper and be just as insulting as the next person, but I save it for worthy causes. You don't need to swear or be insulting in every day discussions just to make your point.

People on MN get their knickers in a twist over a variety of things that don't matter or even happen in real life
Getting offended by the term "chav" is one of them.
It was used on Dr Who so can't be that bad.

I assumed t derived from chavvie, being the gypsy term for child and was quite 'racist' to be used as an insult.

Either way it's a label that other-isles people and has extremely unpleasant connotations about their worth as a person.

gordy, I think both words are lazy labelling.

But to look at the other side of the coin - very often, people who have a nice way of speaking and have good manners and Godforbid have money as well - will get sneerily called Snobs.
That's not right either.

I wonder what thread has inspired this one!!!!!

"When I was growing up, we were always taught that if you have to swear or be insulting to make your point, then you're not very intelligent."

You might have been taught that, but that doesn't necessarily make it true! All sorts of intelligent people like me swear. Although, like you, it tends to be "oh shit," when I've dropped something, rather than "you are a c---."

Chav is a huge insult used frequently by my colleagues. Usually said with a sneer or curly lip. Council house and violent indeed. I hate when people are judged purely on the area they come from.

Snob, I rarely hear that word at work but it's never accompanied by a nasty sneer.

Chav is a huge insult used frequently by my colleagues. Usually said with a sneer or curly lip. Council house and violent indeed. I hate when people are judged purely on the area they come from.

Snob, I rarely hear that word at work but it's never accompanied by a nasty sneer.

Chav is a horrible word - I thought most people tried to not use offensive words on here.

Yes, cominthrough - 'snob' is not used with quite the same sense of superiority.

I don't think there's anything wrong with either 'chav' or 'snob'. If we banned every word that could cause offence, we'd have very little left.

Certain people secretly like being called snobs though, don't they? Especially the ones who use the word chav, makes them feel important.

They are normally the sneery type and not very pleasant.

We call them white trash here in the states. Chav doesn't seem so bad in comparison.

I thought chav meant CHeltenham AVerage and stems from Cheltenham Ladies' lesbians College.

Interesting point OP.

There are so many offensive words on MN's why pick out just one or two?

No-one objects when posters refer to Tory voters as Tory Scum. The word Cunt is bandied about merrily, as are Bitch, Cow, etc etc.

I wonder how many who have raised objection to Chav being used have themselves insulted other posters/people with one of the other epithets?

Double standards abound.........

I think some people misunderstand the word chav. It does mean what the OP has posted, but a chav can also be wealthy. It's no longer 1950, and these days lower class people may well be affluent, not all chavs live in council houses and are violent. Indeed, not all violent people who live in council houses are chavs....