Chav, is a stereotype and pejorative epithet used in Britain. The stereotype was popularised
in the first decade of the 21st century by the British mass media to refer to an anti-social
youth subculture in the United Kingdom. The Oxford Dictionary defines "chav" as an informal
British derogatory, meaning a young lower-class person who displays brash and loutish behaviour
and wears real or imitation designer clothes.
Etymology The term may have its origins in the Romani
word chavi, meaning "child". The derivative chavette has been used to refer to females.
The adjectives "chavish" and "chavtastic" have been used in relation to items designed
for or suitable for use by chavs. The word existed in the 19th century; lexicographer
Eric Partridge mentions it in his huge dictionary of slang and unconventional English. 'Chaval'
was used to describe a boy. On BBC Learning English, Professor David Crystal wrote, "nobody
knows who reactivated [the word chav] in recent times" after its historical use in Romany
history. The word in its current pejorative usage is
recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary as first used in a Usenet forum in 1998 and
first used in a newspaper in 2002. By 2005 the term became widespread in its use as to
refer to a type of anti-social, uncultured youth, who wear a lot of flashy jewellery,
white trainers, baseball caps, sham designer clothes; the girls expose a lot of midriff.
In the 2011 book, Chavs: the Demonization of the Working Class, the author surmised
that the word is an attack on the poor. In the 2010 book Stab Proof Scarecrows, it was
surmised that "chav" was an abbreviation for "council housed and violent"; this created
a backronym. This backronym was used in a 2012 public statement by Rapper Plan B as
he spoke out to oppose the use of the term. In 2013 David Crystal, one of the world's
foremost linguistic experts on English, was featured on BBC Learning English. He said,
"People talk about 'chav behaviour' or 'chav insults' and that sort of thing. Oh, don't
believe the popular etymologies that you read sometimes in the press and on websites. I
saw one the other day, people said, 'It's an acronym, 'chav', from council house and
violent' - well, no, it isn't, that was made up in recent times".
Stereotype Besides referring to loutish behaviour, violence,
and particular speech patterns, the stereotype of a chav includes wearing branded designer
sportswear, which may be accompanied by some form of flashy gold jewellery otherwise termed
as "bling". In a case where a teenage woman was barred
from her own home under the terms of an anti-social behaviour order in 2005, some British national
newspapers branded her "the real-life Vicky Pollard" with the Daily Star running headlines
reading, "Good riddance to chav scum: real life Vicky Pollard evicted", both referring
to a BBC comedy character parodying chavs. Created by radio host Matt Lucas for the show
'Little Britain', the Vicky Pollard character is a gossiping, drug-running, thieving teenage
delinquent, who in one episode trades her out-of-wedlock baby for a CD. A 2006 survey
by YouGov suggested 70% of TV industry professionals believed that Vicky Pollard was an accurate
reflection of white working-class youth. Also in 2006, Prince William of Wales and his younger
brother Prince Harry had dressed up as chavs, resulting in headlines in The Sun naming him
"Future Bling of England". The article stated, "William has a great sense of humour and went
to a lot of trouble thinking up what to wear". Response to the stereotype has ranged from
amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism. The Guardian in 2011 identified
issues stemming from the use of the terms "hoodies" and "chav" within the mass media,
which had led to age discrimination as a result of mass media-created stereotypes.
Commercial effect In 2005 the fashion house Burberry, whilst
deriding 'chavs', claimed that the widespread fashion in the UK of 'chavs' wearing its branded
style, i.e. Burberry check was due to the wide availability of cheaper counterfeit versions.
In 2008, in response to the continuing rise in popularity of the Burberry brand, Christopher
Bailey, who was responsible for the company’s overall image including all advertising, corporate
art direction, store design and visuals, and the design of all Burberry collections and
product lines, said "I'm proud we had such a democratic appeal."
The large supermarket chain Asda has attempted to trademark the word "chav" for a new line
of confectionery. A spokeswoman said, "With slogans from characters in shows such as Little
Britain and The Catherine Tate Show providing us with more and more contemporary slang,
our Whatever sweets – now nicknamed chav hearts – have become very popular with kids
and grown-ups alike. We thought we needed to give them some respect and have decided
to trademark our sweets." Criticism of the stereotype
A BBC TV documentary suggested that "chav" culture is an evolution of previous working-class
youth subcultures associated with particular commercial clothing styles, such as mods,
skinheads, and casuals. 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. The writer John Harris argued along similar lines in a 2007 article in The Guardian.
The widespread use of the "chav" stereotype has been criticised. Some argue that it amounts
to simple snobbery and élitism. Critics of the term have argued that its users are "neo-snobs",
and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals
with social mobility and class. The Fabian Society see the term as offensive
and regard it as "sneering and patronising" to a largely voiceless group. The term has
been defined by tabloid headlines. It is language used to belittle. On describing those who
use the term, the society stated that "we all know their old serviette/napkin, lounge/living
room, settee/sofa tricks. But this is something new. This is middle class hatred of the white
working class, pure and simple." The Fabian Society have been highly critical of the BBC
in using the term in broadcasts. The term was reported in The Guardian in 2011 as "class
abuse by people asserting superiority". Spread in the media
By 2004, the word was used 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" in 2004.
Characters described as "chavs" have been featured in numerous British television programmes.
The character, clothing, attitude and musical interests of Lauren Cooper and her friends
in the BBC comedy series, The Catherine Tate Show, have been associated with the chav stereotype.
The comedy series Little Britain features a character with some similarities, Vicky
Pollard. In the British television series Misfits, the character of Kelly Bailey is
presented as a stereotypical "chav". Lauren Socha, the actress who portrays Kelly, has
described the character as being "a bit chavvy". The Times has referred to the character as
"[a] chavvish girl", and the character has been said to possess a "chav accent". In the
BBC TV series Doctor Who episode "New Earth", the character Lady Cassandra is transplanted
into Rose Tyler's body. When Cassandra sees herself in a mirror, she exclaims "Oh my God...
I'm a chav!". See also
Hooliganism Social structure of the United Kingdom
Comparable terms Westie
Ah Beng Ars
Aso, "Johnny"/"Marina" in Flanders. Bogan
Budmash Dres
Guido Gopnik
Gino Muzza
Naco Ned
NEET Scanger
Spide Thug
White Trash Wigger
Yankī Cani
Títere Pelagato
Cafre Racaille
Flaite References
Further reading Keith Hayward and Majid Yar. "The "chav" phenomenon:
Consumption, media and the construction of a new underclass". Crime, Media, Culture 2:
9–28. doi:10.1177/1741659006061708. Jones, Owen. Chavs: The Demonization of the
Working Class. Verso. ISBN 978-1844676965. Audio
Professor David Crystal, BBC World Service, Learning English, Mp3.
Video Plan B. Youth, music and London at TEDxObserver.