Chav

Chav is a slang term which has been in wide use throughout the United Kingdom since 2004. It refers to a subcultural stereotype of a person with fashions such as flashy "bling" jewellery and counterfeit designer clothes or sportswear, an uneducated, uncultured, impoverished background, a tendency to congregate around places such as fast-food outlets, bus stops, or other shopping areas, and a culture of antisocial behaviour.

Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.

Etymology

For a full discussion of the etymologies of chav and charva, see Wiktionary.

For a list of synonyms for chav and charva, see WikiSaurus under the headword chav.

Sources disagree on the origin of the word. The Collins English Dictionary suggests that it derives from a distortion of the Anglo-Romany word chavi meaning "child". In contrast, the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary suggests that the word derives either from a nickname for "Chatham girls" or from the Romany word chavo (boy), which is also the source of the Spanish word chaval. It also reports that the word can be used as an adjective e.g. "The bus was full of chav kids."

There are a large number of synonyms and regional variations of "chav", including "scally", "ned", and "charver".

Many folk etymologies have sprung up to explain the origins of the word. These include humorous backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" . Another commonly cited false etymology derives the word from Cheltenham Ladies' College. Here, it is claimed, the term was coined from the words "Cheltenham Average" (Ch-av), used by the young women of the school to describe less desirable young men of the town .

Usage

Though "chav" has similarities to American terms such as "white trash" and "trailer trash" [1], it does not bear the racial overtones of its American counterparts, and, according to the stereotype, many supposed chavs belong to multi-ethnic inner city communities such as London council estates. From its origins as a slang term use of the word spread rapidly so that by 2004 it had become a hugely popular word in national newspapers and common parlance in the UK. Susie Dent's Larpers and Shroomers: The Language Report, published by the Oxford University Press, designated it as the "word of the year" [2] in 2004. A survey in 2005 found that in December 2004 alone 114 British newspaper articles used the word. The popularity of the word has led to the creation of sites devoted to cataloguing and mocking the "chav" lifestyle. These include ChavScum and its spin-off ChavTowns.

It is also used as a term of "to steal" i.e; "Yeah, I chavved that poster out of a skip last night at midnight outside Morrisons while waiting for my McDonalds."

Stereotype

A caricature image of the stereotypical chav. Note the track suit, "bling" and counterfeit Burberry cap.

The stereotype of the chav is defined by critics of the supposed chav lifestyle. Few people identify themselves as chavs. Note, however, that "lotto lout" Michael Carroll has "King of Chavs" emblazoned on the side of his car and a number plate reading "L111 OUT" (i.e. "lout").

The essential stereotype is of someone conspicuously "common" i.e. lower-class, where "class" is defined by taste rather than income.

Elements of the stereotype

The stereotypical chav is someone who:

• wears particular clothing, such as:
  • Brand name athletic clothing and shoes. Stereotypically, this might include white trainers and tracksuits.
  • Fake designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive tartan of Burberry, similar to (and perhaps derived from) the casuals of football supporters.
  • "Bling": that is, gaudy gold or platinum jewellery — in particular conspicuous earrings and trinkets on chains for women, and gold sovereign rings for men.
  • Sports caps and hoodies. Often both are worn, the hood pulled up over the baseball cap, thus obscuring the wearer's face.
  • Sports or jogging trousers, often tucked into white sports socks. These are also referred to as "tracky Bs", "trackies" or "tracky bottoms".
• if female, wears thickly applied make-up, makes heavy use of fake tan, and has a hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back into a tight bun or ponytail (called a "Croydon facelift" or "council-house facelift").
• is associated with crass, drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities. This includes unprovoked attacks on members of the public (see happy slapping), vandalism, verbal abuse, and drug abuse. This delinquency may be carried out under the influence of cheap alcohol, often after the pubs have closed.
• lives on housing estates and other low-income neighbourhoods, often supported by the "dole" (unemployment benefit).
• owns a tastelessly modified car, usually with a basic original specification, but decorated in a gaudy style. The Vauxhall Nova is one of the many small hatchbacks associated with this stereotype.
• takes part in under-aged drinking and sex (and, consequently, is associated with teen pregnancy).
• congregates and loiters in areas such as shopping centres and fast food restaurants .
• pronounces English in a style that is seen to be unsophisticated and characterised by slack diction — for example, the pronunciation of "thing" as "fing".

Commercial impact

The Burberry clothing brand, which quickly became synonymous with "chav" subculture, recently ceased production of its branded baseball cap in an attempt to distance itself from its inherited stereotype. There was also a large scaling back of the use of Burberry's patented chequered/tartan design - so much so that it now only appears on the inner linings and other very low key positions of their clothing. Those sporting Burberry have recently been prevented from entering certain football games and shopping centres due to the link between the brand and hooliganism.

The company has argued that the stereotype is associated with counterfeit versions of the clothing: "They're yesterday's news", stated Stacey Cartwright, the CEO of Burberry. "It was mostly counterfeit, and Britain accounts for less than 10% of our sales anyway."

Additionally, the fall in the sale of thongs has been attributed partially to their association with female "chavs" .

Media characterisation and comment

Characterisation

The character Vicky Pollard, as portrayed by Matt Lucas in the BBC comedy series Little Britain, is perhaps the most iconic chav caricature. She is often seen in a pink Kappa tracksuit, and describes - at an almost incoherently fast pace - her activities of under-age drinking and sex, mindless gossip, petty crimes and playing truant. She also has no respect for any form of authority. Matt Lucas himself has admitted that the character was based on the youths he saw in Bristol when he was a student .

A character similar to Vicky Pollard, "Lauren", played by Catherine Tate in The Catherine Tate Show, another BBC comedy series, is a stereotypical chav female. Her catchphrase is "Am I bothered?" (pronounced "bovvered"). Tate recently performed this sketch at the Royal Variety Show.

The British magazine Viz includes a character called Tasha Slappa, an exaggerated teenage female chav. The strip satirises chav culture. (The character was originally called "Kappa Slappa" until the Kappa company filed a lawsuit against Viz. It is unknown whether the term "Kappa Slappa" predates its adoption by Viz. "Slapper" itself is a more longstanding British slang term for a sexually promiscuous female.)

Lottery millionaire Michael Carroll is the self-proclaimed "King of The Chavs" due to his lifestyle and antics. He is frequently derided in the tabloid press for his anti-social behaviour, and is often referred to as the "Lottery Lout" in the British media.

The Welsh rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain have been described as both embodying and satirising the chav aesthetic, though the group themselves deny any such agenda .

Footballer Wayne Rooney and girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin , glamour model Jordan (AKA Katie Price), actress Danniella Westbrook, and former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

Critique of the stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism from some quarters, many arguing that it amounts simply to classism, and that social problems such as teenage pregnancy, delinquency and alcoholism in low-income areas are no laughing matter. Critics of the term have argued that its proponents are "neo-snobs" , and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class. In a February 2005 article in The Times, Julie Burchill argued that use of the word is a form of "social racism", and that such "sneering" reveals more about the shortcomings of the "chav haters" than those of their supposed victims. Burchill also produced a Sky One television programme on the topic. The controversy around the term was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in July 2005, entitled simply Chavs.

See also

• Essex girl
• Essex man
• Lumpenproletariat
• Yobbo

Similar terms

• Scanger (Ireland)
• Spides and Millies (Northern Ireland)
• Bogan (Australia and New Zealand)
• Dres (Poland)
• Ah beng (men) & Ah Lian (women) (Singapore)
• Pissis (Finland)
• White Trash/Trailer Trash (Canada and United States)

External links

Humour

• ChavScum - A User's Guide to Britain's New Ruling Class
• ChavTowns

Articles

• Ward, David (2004-10-09). "Get hip to Chav as this year's wizard word". The Guardian. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Jackson, Melissa (2005-01-10). "Music to deter yobs by". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• "Baseball cap dropped by Burberry due to association with football hooligans". Sky News. 2004-09-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Lewis, Jemima (2004-02-01). "In defence of snobbery". Daily Telegraph. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Other

• BBC Language Lab survey