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?

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

Probably the same number of certain people who secretly liked to be called Chavs, especially the ones who use the word snob, because it gives them street cred.....

Chav isn't a word that is said, it's a word that is spat.

Nothing wrong with cunt, depending on the context omfg I typed the whole word without asterixing

Isn't the main difference that the word chav plays on oppression of working class/poverty-class people, whereas snob is used to refer to someone who's probably doing ok financially?
Like gringo/cracker not being anything like as offensive as racist terms for Black people.

Snob doesn't sound as strong to me either - I'd say 'I'm a fabric snob' but I wouldn't say 'I'm a chav' although I do live in a council house.

It is quite amusing that it is generally acceptable on here to call people chavs, as in being common, working class or living in a council house, as that is seen as derogatory, but it does appear to be acceptable to deride such behaviours etc that are strongly associated with many people that are from such a background, such as owning a caravan, wearing a grey track suit, having tattoos, smoking weed, etc.

And look at all the frothing that goes on about living in the right area and sending DCs to the right schools .

It would appear that a lot of MNetters fall over themselves to not overtly look down on people that they see as 'less naice' than themselves, as long as they don't have to closely mix with them in their day to day lives .

What is street cred BMW? In your opinion.

It's a word used by those who have an advantaged in life to insult the underprivileged for being just that.

Everyone can be a cunt. :)

it would appear that a lot of MNetters fall over themselves to not overtly look down on people that they see as 'less naice' than themselves,

I think this might be the case why the word Chav is looked down on.
People don't want to appear too snobby (even though as you say, they are desperate to live in the right area and send DC's to the right schools), so they think that saying I think the word Chav is terrible, makes them less snobby. even though they are

In other words Inverted Snobbery.

"Chav" is just the current term for "common", or much worse, "vulgar". There's no judgement, it's just a description of the way some people choose to behave, just like "snob" is. Neither terms have absolutely anything to do with the way people dress, speak, where they live or how they earn their living.

You could be a pauper and still be "respectable" just like you could be well-educated and well-off without being a snob.

I have a feeling that those who most strongly object to the use of the term "chav" are often those who fear they might be judged as one themselves.

If you are a chav then the word fits if you aren't it shouldn't bother you.
I think the problem comes when people try and generalise that everyone in a particular situation can be described as such.

I have a friend who lives on a council estate, she is not a chav because she isn't violent.
I have a friend who is pretty well off and children attend an independent school, she is very down to earth and not snobby at all.

Chav is used as an insult snob is not

Chav is used by those who want to judge others on very superficial terms and feel the need to state they are better

Why would I feel that was ok

I grew up being called a Chav - nicely - due to my Traveller background. Then it became horrible because "Trav" was used in the way "Gyppo" is now, and Chav/Trav can be interchanged.

Council House And Violent came later - but these days Chav is an 'attitude' rather or a type rather than about money or where you come from.

I've been called a chav because I own a static caravan (and it's in a 'Chavtastic' seaside resort). Daniella Westbrook was a chav for dressing her child in top to toe Burberry. My (very rich) boss is a chav because she has two Rottweillers.

Chav is pretty meaningless really, it's just another word for 'common' - but my mum thinks eating with your hands is common...and who among us has never eaten a sandwich?

Snob is used as an insult, though, Freudian, I was at a girl's grammar school and it was thrown at us by other kids on the school bus. If it's ok to use snob then it's ok to use chav, in my book.

Growing up in quite a poor northern town a lot of lads used to call each other charver as in "easy charver how's it going..." These lads used to wear rockport boots striped Henry Lloyd jumpers with a polo Tshirt underneath and go the dance clubs and take pills. A lot of the clubs started having signs up in the windows saying no rockport boots stripy jumpers allowed etc as these lads were seen as rough and likely to have fights. The word charver then seemed to get shortened to chav and used as a label for these type of lads. I always thought that's where the word came from and then got guessed to mean council house vermin or violent or whatever by people who assumed it stood for something. Like the word sket or a dyer or any "new slang"

Then the media clicked on and the word was blown up to describe anyone thought of as "lower class"

Your right in your comparison with snob though.

My SIL thinks that to be a 'snob' is some kind of accolade.

I don't know what you're supposed to do with somebody like that really? I just spend as little time with her as possible because she looks down her nose at very many people and I can't understand where she thinks she is on the 'worthiness' gauge. I just hope my niece and nephew don't pick it up.

It has been thrown at me too not something that made me feel less worthy

I am well aware it is not done with a sneer and by someone who feels they want to show that are a better person than I am as chav is used in that way for some they would love to be calls a snob ( I am sure some a chav)

When does chav calling come up on here threads about benefits, names, and ear piercing

You see, I agree with the OPs definition of Chav. But people on MN don't seem to understand the use of it, they immediately jump on anyone using it as insulting all poor people. It isn't. It only describes those 'lower class' people that dress in all that blingy designer style gear, but then behave a way which immediately gives away their heritage by swearing, shouting at their kids, getting drunk and falling down etc.

You can be poor and not a chav, equally you can be rich and a chav, ig Katie Price, Jodie Marsh, Wayne Rooney etc

"“The sort of twee person who thinks swearing is in any way a sign of a lack of education or a lack of verbal interest is just a fucking lunatic.” - Stephen Fry

chavvy nanna!

Doesn't bother me, but then I'm American (although living in the UK). Generally I didn't get fussed over people using the term white trash either, as generally I suspected anyone that called some one "white trash" or "trailer trash" was probably a snob and not worth my time anyway, so I then avoided them like the plague. And since I have a bit of redneck in my family history, I am certainly not going throw stones in my glass house.

Chav to me indicates a way of behaving. One of the richest people I know (millions, used to drink in the pub I worked in) is also the biggest chav I have ever met. He is trash with cash despite coming from a "good" family, no council house heritage there.

Oops, I've just noticed that I missed a vital 'not' from the first sentence in my post at 19.20.

Obs, I was saying that on here it is NOT thought be acceptable to call people chavs, but I hope my meaning was clear because I then went onto say that lots of 'common' behaviors are openly looked down on.

We call them white trash here in the states.

No, we don't. Some people might, but it's offensive.

www.lifepaths360.com/index.php/how-white-trash-is-offensive-21857/

If I were to refer to someone as a chav it would be because I was inspired to do so by their (poor) behaviour and (bad) attitude.
I don't know why MC people get their knickers in a twist about it. People who are likely to attract the label chav seem pretty proud of behaving in a vile and vulgar way. I wouldn't waste any tears for them. They certainly aren't oppressed Dickensian poor people living in slums. If you like em that much and feel that protective of them I suggest you invite them to babysit your kids and borrow your car for the day..thought not.

For me, it's not the word, it's the lazy stereotypes and judgmental exaggerated bullshit that accompanies it.

I agree snob is used as an insult and it can be spat out in a very derogatory and insulting way.

They are both words that are used as a description of a persons behaviour and attitudes, and neither is worse than the other.