Chav is a derogatory slang term in popular usage throughout England. It refers to a supposed subculture stereotyped as uneducated, uncultured and prone to antisocial or immoral behavior. The label is typically applied to teenagers and young adults of white working-class or lower-middle class origin. Chav is used for both sexes, but a male chav is sometimes referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. The term was first popularised by the Popbitch website and taken up enthusiastically by the tabloid press. Response to the term has ranged from acceptance to criticism that the term is a new manifestation of classism.

Origin

For a full discussion of the etymology of chav, see Wiktionary.

The word chav is commonly thought to be from the mid-19th century Romany word chavi, meaning "delinquent youth"; but some suggest it comes from a nickname used of people from various towns in England, including Chatham and Cheltenham, sometimes in conjunction with the class label Average.

It is sometimes mockingly redefined as one of several backronyms, including "Council Housed And Violent", "Council House Assault & Violence", and "Council House Association Vermin" — although there is no etymological basis for these terms.

It is also said that the word was used in Edinburgh, Scotland in the early 1990s, leading to widespread bemusement on the part of Edinburghers at the sudden popularity of the term in South-Eastern England.

Key concepts

This stereotyped subculture is defined by outsiders. Essentially no-one self-identifies with these labels and groupings,rather they are used by those on the outside to categorise those supposedly conforming to the stereotype, which is marked by the similarity of trends in clothing and behaviour.

The essential stereotype is of being loudly lower-class, with 'class' defined by taste rather than income.

Elements of the stereotype

Typical features of the stereotype include:

• The wearing of particular clothing, such as
  • Brand name athletic clothing and shoes (stereotypically, white trainers / sneakers / Reebok Classics).
  • Fake designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive plaid of Burberry.
  • Love of "bling", that is, gaudy gold jewellery (in particular hoop earrings for females and sovereign rings for males).
  • Sports caps or hooded tops (often both are worn).
  • Sports or jogging trousers.
• For women, thickly applied make-up with the hairstyle known as the Council House Facelift in which the (usually dyed) hair is pulled back into a tight bun.
• Association with crass, drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities, generally carried out under the influence of alcohol, and often after the pubs have closed.
• The association with housing estates and other low-income neighbourhoods.
• The ownership of a large, dangerous attack dog.
• The ownership of a heavily modified car, often of low original specification
  • In the style seen in the film The Fast and the Furious.
  • As seen in the magazine Max Power, a blend of vehicle customisation and semi-clad glamour models.
  • Usually incorporating a high specification music system with amplified bass.
• Musically, a chav might enjoy mainstream rap music and his girlfriend R&B, with pop and dance music a common ground between them. The rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain have satirised the chav aesthetic.
• The frequent use of mobile phones, (regardless of location such as cinemas, restaurants, etc.).
• A penchant for confessional television chat shows such as Trisha
• Proclivity of under-aged drinking and sex.

The Burberry clothing brand in particular acquired such links with the chav subculture that it ceased production of its branded baseball cap. Given the popularity of this item, a counterfeit version is usually what is being referred to.

Media characterisation and comment

The character Vicky Pollard as portrayed in the BBC comedy series Little Britain by Matt Lucas is an example of a Kappa Slappa — from the name of the clothing brand Kappa and the word slapper. The Gallagher family of the Channel 4 series "Shameless" share many Chav characteristics including alcohol abuse, petty criminality, underage sex and maintaining a large family on state benefits. In this case the family is presented in a sympathetic light in an extension of the "Sympathetic Scally" characters found in Brookside and Boys from the Blackstuff.

Julie Burchill writing in The Guardian in 2005 made a defence of Chav girls arguing that reduced social mobility means that an education as the traditional route out of poverty has limited value. Therefore Burchill claims that it was logical that Chavs would aspire to role models such as Jade Goody and Victoria Beckham.

Derived and similar terms

There are many regional and local synonyms (listed in their related Wiktionary articles). For example, chav is equivalent to one definition of townie but is more specific in its usage.

It is similar to the United States term white trash and the Australian equivalent bogan. Similar terms are scanger (in Ireland, Dublin in particular), spide (Northen Ireland), and ned (Scotland). In S.Wales also the words 'blads' and 'caps' are used, also associated with wearing (presumed counterfit) burbery clothing .

The act of adding superfluous and cosmetic modifications to something is known as chavving up (or shamming up in Ireland), and is particularly relevant if the modifications actually decrease performance. Sometimes this has been used - sometimes derogatively but usually as a joke - of the case modding scene.

Related terms for urban or suburban miscreants can be found in the dictionary entry for "chav". The popularity of these terms has grown since the 1980s, and their usage reflects both serious and light-hearted issues arising from changes in British urban life.

There are a number of collective nouns for a group of chavs, among the most popular being a chavalanche or a chavalcade.

Celebrity Chavs

Prince Harry has recently been cited, due to his penchant for baseball caps, sportswear, drinking, and drugs, and for his associations with glamour models. For a certain group of chavs David and Victoria Beckham are particular role models.

Michael Carroll is widely regarded as being the epitome of chav culture. When the former dustman won the National Lottery Jackpot of over £9 million, he spent a large proportion of his winnings on gold jewellery, alcohol and drugs, and cars.

The Reality Television star Jade Goody is widely regarded as a Chav rolemodel having had two highly publicised pregnancies with no obvious income.

See also

• Hooliganism / Yobs
• Charva
• British English
• Lumpenproletariat
• White trash

External links

• Widget Chav - A look at how social groups and anthropolgy in general could be used in Search Engine Algorithms(PDF)
• ChavScum - A Humorous Guide to Britain's Burgeoning Peasant Underclass
• Glasgow Survival - A brilliant site that details the lifestyle of British Scum
• Anger over 'pikey' slur (BBC News)
• I Hate Chavs
• Guardian Article - "Get hip to Chav as this year's wizard word"
• BBC News Magazine Article - "Music to deter yobs by"