to eradicate the words 'chavvy' and 'common' from the MN lexicon

[OrmRenewed]

They are lazy words. They mean 'anything that I don't like and am not'. If you dislike something enough to issue a sweeping and insulting comment about it, have the decency to give accurate and precise reasons for it.

Agree that 'chav' has nothing to do with level of income. To my mind the word refers more to lack of class, taste and generally education too.

I don't think they mean 'anything I don't and am not' That is waaay to general.

I think they mean things that are, IMHO cheap, ubiqitious, tacky, showy, poor quality, downmarket and in thoroughly poor and misguided taste.

Or: Pertaining to The Underclass. Should we just say that?

The trouble is every time people latch onto a work or phrase that implies a negative, unfortunate or undesirable quality, some well-meaning person urges us to desist from uttering it, as if not speaking the word will make the problem go away.

We can only ban negative adjectives and pejoratives if we ban all corresponding positive and complimentary ones, or we end up with no context. As long as it is not actually discriminatory - and it isn't, because it's subjective and hard to pin down.

It is a fact of life (we are mammals after all) that we are socially and intellectually hierarchical. That will never, never go away. If you are hoping that human beings will 'evolve' out of it, then you'll be waiting a flipping long time!

Goodness knows how you'd cope if you had to live among the Indian caste system - your poor head would explode.

We have a biggish TV, I am scared of having my ears pierced so no hoop earings, but I have some burberry in my closet and I love a bit of bling. I am very well educated but I am sure you would delight in calling me a chav.

word, not work. Soz.

Just because you cannot eradicate something it does not mean it becomes acceptable or even admirable.

All sorts of basic human qualities are not really acceptable, but they are there nonetheless. Jealousy, spite, greed, dishonesty, just add a sense of social superiority to the list.

And I'm not sure anyone suggested being sniffy about certain things was admirable, exactly. But we all do it. Every single one of us, to one degree or another. It's how we send out signals to like-minded mates, and how we bond with our peers.

But if there were no social hierarchy then there would be no social mobility or a desire to better one's self or the next generation?

It might be snobby to label people as 'common' or 'chavvy', but by making such distinctions and emphasising middle class aspirations, surely this is a good thing?

But people are celebrating the fun they have using the term, we don't share with glee times that we are jealous, greedy or dishonest.

We have a 50 inch wall mounted plasma screen. Dp and I can often be found quaffing fine wines and speciality cheeses in front of it .

i dont mind if people call me chav for shopping at Primark btw. Primark do some nice cheap stuff among the piles of graffiti slogan tshirts. [especially tights! Primark tights are THE BEST.]

I'm not sure that shopping in Primark makes anyone a Chav in my book! Just a canny person with an eye for a great bargain!

Agree that there is nothing wrong with a bit of Primarni. Their clothes even feature in the glossy style magazines from time to time.

Exactly Tiggy.

You can (well, you can't ) stop people saying things, but you can't stop them thinking them.

Everyone judges, whether they admit to it or not. I have seen this argument on here so many times! As social beings, we all make judgments, based on what we know and what is familiar. It doesn't necessarily follow that we will judge the actual person (as opposed to the behavior or taste or whatever) badly, or that we will stick rigidly to our judgments instead of getting to know the person.

Show me someone who never judges and I will show you someone too good to be true. And probably dead boring with it. ;)

Why do we have to aim to make everyone middle class by "emphasising middle class aspirations"?

Some of us lower class oiks are quite happy as we are, we don't need rescuing.

I really hope I don't look down on people, I would be foolish to really with my background.

YABU this is a democracy and we are entitled to an opionion unless its racist,sexist etc. Just because you dont like the terms does not mean they cant be used.

Oh I like "common". It makes me think of attitudes like those of deaddei's mother and MIL. I'm sure there were things I wasn't allowed to do because they were common and I remember my aunty telling me off for smoking in the street for the same reason.

yanbu, it's a horrid word

I think common says an awful lot more about the caller than the callee, if that makes sense.

I think the problem with 'chav' and 'common' as shown on this thread, is that the terms have become so broadly and variously defined that they don't really mean anything anymore.

calling people and things chav, is like a type racisim

not on

Yeah.. and from now on we must call goths "colour challenged"

It's nothing like racism.

See I don't think that calling people goths is insulting them ,its just describing the way they dress ...but calling people chavs seems like an insult to me ..must be my working class ,chip on the shoulder issues

oh course it's like racism, as your judging and putting down a whole section of society based on how they look etc.

See, I do not think of chav and working class as the same thing in the slightest.

And I guess that's why I feel like a right 5-year old being told off for using the word.

How on earth is it like a form of racism ?

People have a choice as to the clothes they wear, the objects they have in their home and their attitudes towards things. And these things are changeable.

You can remove a pair of Argos gold hoop earrings. You can't exactly change your skin colour....