What is a chav??

[tex111]

I've heard this term used a few times recently and I believe it refers to a person but I haven't been able to work out exactly what kind of person. Is this new or just a British term I haven't come across before?

Oops, sorry - Allthegirls is right - it is about gypsies, too.

Would you saying being a chav is something that a person grows out of like goths, preps, etc or is it more of a social class/lifestyle. It sounds more like a social class but from that website most of the people look like teenagers.

Thanks Furball, that is so interesting. That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

I think Muddaofsuburbia has got it spot on - its the same as goth or sk8er - only different.

I think any title bestowed upon us has the capacity to cause offence it just depends on how its said. Eg, i advised my sister not to partake in a particular activity and she retorted "Ooh you sound like a right little mummy" which I took to mean I was being sensible and cautious

jampot i think that chav is definitely a social class thing, unlike goths etc...

so where in the social class structure does it sit?

And what is class anyway?

as i understand the term chav refers to someone that probably lives on benefits on a council estate, has a penchant for souped up cars/lots of bling...you don't get a public school chav, whilst you could equally be a skater or goth if you lived on a council estate or in a mansion...do you see what i mean?

What I meant was that people who would fit a stereotypical "chav/towny/whatever" description are now claiming the name for themselves. They're turning what was a negative label into a positive one and are proud of having an identity.

yes I see what you mean sophable but the beckhams & daniella westbrook are indicitive of chavs in (presumably without the souped up banged out cars). I thought it was more a lifestyle/fashion thing.

suffice to say I couldn't afford to be a chav

hmmm, these things are complicated...to my mind there's a bit of wannabe black about this: kind of filters down thro j-lo (associating with puffy, ja rule etc)...i don't think you can be black and chav...so maybe there is also an ali g element to this?...i still think the biggest reason why it is an offensive term is that it is a class thing tho...

Having grown up in the south we always used the word 'Chav' in gest. For example if when your sorting your old clothes out you've always got that friend that says ' ooh I'll have that that's to good to throw away' ( even though you think it's rank) we would always say' your such a chav' or a friend of mine who seems to be accumultaing lots of second hand-hand me downs says ' I'm turning into a right chav.

I guess it was used to describe those less fortunate which is really bloody terrible!

Does that makes sense text11

I prefer the term trailer trash.

it is lou...that's exactly it...but GB version...so it is offensive, but widely used.

This has turned out to be such an interesting thread. Sounds like you could do a whole anthropological study of the chav phenomenon. I agree with Sophable that it sounds like there's a black-wannabe influence. Ali G came to my mind as did Anthony and his friends on The Royle Family.

I'll never forget the time I met my SIL's 19 year old very pink-cheeked-English-boy neighbor in Sawtry (a village in Cambs). He was dressed in the way described as 'chav' and when I asked what he did for a living his reply was 'gangsta rapper'. It seemed that this was something he really aspired to and I would guess was influenced by TV, music and films. I certainly don't think there were many gansta rappers in Sawtry.

Sounds like it's perhaps a mix of a fashion trend (those trucker baseball caps, bling bling, etc) and a more deprived social class aspiring to what they see as a higher social class hence the obvious brand names and gold.

pmsl at sawtry gangsta rapper tex

fashion does filter up from ground level tho...think of all those fashionistas that were wearing velour tracksuits for about 5 minutes a year or two ago...and the bling thing was very fashion too a while back...basically seems to me that a lot of fashion is borrowed from the 'hood' for want of a better expression...

Lou I read your reply as 'trailer tent!'

Ahhhh trailer trash. Now growing up in Texas that is term I know very well and I would agree, to some extent, that it is similiar. In my experience trailer trash tends to be very poor, undeducated people who are generally harmless but, from what I've learned today, it sounds like this chav culture can be quite aggressive.

Maybe a better discription would be something like 'rednecks with bling'. Now, I'm being very rude but coming from a long line of rednecks, hillbillies and trailer trash I think I can get away with it this once.

Conspicuous consumption I guess would be another link. I live on a council estate and every house has satellite, even though cable is cheaper, because a dish can be seen.

just to add a little more to this has anyone looked up their postcode on here . it gives a full profile of consumer habits all over the country.

actually I'm disappointed now because it used to state what types of food were mostly consumed. For my area I think it was brown sauce & dog food!!!!

"rednecks with bling"!

Fio I am always reading things wrong!

I'm from the south too and never heard of chav until seeing it on MN, probably more to do with my age than anything.
My dad used to say Pikey or didecoy to refer to gypsy/traveller types who were NOT romanies or, in his opinion, historically travellers.

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