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Chav

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Chav (also Chavette (female chav), Charv or Charva) is a slang term in wide use throughout the United Kingdom since 2004. It refers to a subcultural stereotype of people with fashions such as flashy "bling" jewelry, clothing with the beige Burberry pattern (which has since been discontinued by the company), and designer clothing such as Adidas and Nike; typically an uneducated and uncultured background; a tendency to congregate around places such as fast-food outlets, bus stops, car parks or other shopping areas; and a culture of antisocial behaviour and violence closely associated with ASBOs. Many regard chavs to have a musical taste mainly including garage, RnB, and [[hip hop music|hip hop]. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.

Contents

Etymology

For a full discussion of the etymologies of and , see Wiktionary.
For a list of synonyms for and , see WikiSaurus under the headword .
Sources disagree on the origin of the word. The Collins English Dictionary suggests that it derives from a distortion of the Anglo-Romani 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 chavo or chaval. It also reports that the word can be used as an adjective e.g. "The bus was full of chav kids." . Although the Romany origin could be seen as a good possibility, the theory that the word spans from a nickname for Chatham girls has a number of flaws: Chav is a masculine term, "female chavs" are widely known as "chavettes" or other derogatory terms. So it is unlikely to have come from a nickname for a female.

Regional Variations

There are a large number of synonyms and regional variations of "chav", including "scally", "townie", "kev", "ned" "Mallie" and "charva". It has been suggested that "charva" (or "charv") predates "chav" as a dialect word in North East England (where the term would be used in referring to an unruly young mine-worker) and Edinburgh, Scotland, and that "chav" may be a derivative term; they at least appear to share the same possible etymology in "chavi" . The Cockney term chavvy for a baby or toddler has been in use for decades and almost certainly derives from "chavi". In some regions, Chavs are referred to as "Burbs", given their association with Burberry clothing.

Many folk etymologies have sprung up to explain the origins of the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" and "Council House Associated Vermin". Another commonly cited false etymology derives from school slang that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College supposedly used to describe less desirable young men of the town - "Cheltenham Average" or Ch-av , though the article states that few, if any, were aware of this connection in either the school or the town.

Usage

Though "chav" has similarities to the American term "wigger", it does not bear the same perceived racial overtones of its American counterpart.

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. In popular usage, the word has largely supplanted both "pikey" (and thus the potential racial slur of a word that was originally applied only to Romany or Irish travellers) and (in the South East) "kev" as the pejorative term du jour for working class youth 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" [link] 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].

Stereotype

The cult of the chav is defined by critics of the supposed chav lifestyle. Few people identify themselves as chavs. In fact, most chavs claim to simply be 'normal', especially when quizzed by members of the alternative or punk subcultures. 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 credentials of being a chav is of someone conspicuously "common" i.e. lower-class (as defined mostly by taste rather than income, although ).

Elements of the stereotypical chav

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.
  • * Designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive tartan of Burberry
  • * "Bling": that is, gold 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.
  • * Sports or jogging trousers, often tucked into sports socks, usually white. 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, large hoop-earrings and has a hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail (called a "Croydon facelift" or "council-house facelift").
  • Females will also have a tattoo placed onto the small of their back (known as a "tramp stamp")
  • is associated with crass, loud, in-your-face drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities. This includes unprovoked attacks on members of the public (see happy slapping), vandalism, verbal abuse, and drug abuse (see ASBO). This delinquency may be carried out under the influence of cheap alcohol, often after the pubs have closed.
  • lives on council 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 Corsa is one of the many small hatchbacks associated with this group.
  • aspires to the latest mobile phone and other mobile gadgetry. Typically these include the Motorola RAZR series phone and iPod Shuffle music player.
  • takes part in under-aged drinking and sex (and, consequently, is associated with teenage pregnancy).
  • congregates and loiters in areas such as shopping centres , corner-shops and fast food restaurants .
  • Taunts and hate towards other youth subcultures, especially goths. (Many[[Avoid weasel words#ExamplesPlease name specific person]] consider goths and chavs to be opposite ends of the subculture scale, charaicterized as goths being smart and chavs lacking intellect)
  • pronounces English in a style that is seen to be unsophisticated and characterised by slack enunciation — for example, the pronunciation of "thing" as "fing", or the addition of a K on words such as "nothing", turning them into words such as "nuffink".

Criticism of the stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; many argue that it amounts simply to classism, and that social problems such as Anti-Social behaviour orders, teenage pregnancy, delinquency and alcoholism in low-income areas should not be scoffed at. 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 where she sought to link the word with the entire working-class population. The controversy around the term was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in July 2005, simply entitled Chavs.

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 the stereotype. They also scaled back the use of their patented chequered/tartan design to such an extent that it now only appears on the inner linings and other very low key positions of their clothing. Burberry-clad youths have recently been prevented from entering certain football games and shopping centres due to the association between the brand and hooliganism.

The company has argued that all chavs are 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" .

In 2005, Bluewater shopping centre banned hooded tops from anywhere in their complex.

Media characterisation

Michael Carroll the self professed "King of Chavs"
Enlarge
Michael Carroll the self professed "King of Chavs"

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 [DooYoo DVD review]. URL accessed 2006-03-26.

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

BBC Three sketch show, Tittybangbang also features three "chavette" characters called Colleen, Melanie and Natalie, who all speak in thick Jamaican "Yardie" dialects.

Other portrayals include that of the notorious "Devvo" on the popular website Fat-pie and E4. Considered by some to be an actor, Devvo epitomizes the behaviour of a typical chav, with his violent behaviour and constant swearing. Such comical attributes as his driving ban without having ever held a liscence and his begging for money whilst denouncing Third World charity hold similar pretexts in reality with regard to "chavvish" lifestyle.

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 an older 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 "Lotto 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 , rapper Lady Sovereign , glamour model Jordan (AKA Katie Price), actress Danniella Westbrook, and former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

In the Doctor Who episode "New Earth", Rose Tyler is described as a "chav" and "chavtastic" by Lady Cassandra.

"The Tatler" ran a story with the tagline "Prince Harry and his chavistocracy" at the apex of Harry's party antics.

Indie/Brit Pop band Arctic Monkeys' song "A Certain Romance" describes the aesthetic of "chav" with the lyrics "although they might wear Classic Reeboks / or knackered Converse / or tracky bottoms tucked in socks".

See also

Similar stereotypes from outside England & Wales

Europe

North America

Caribbean and Latin America

Other

References

External links

Articles

Other

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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