Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Caricature of a stereotypical chav

Chav (pronounced /ʧæv/, with 'ch' as in chair) also Charv/Charver (pronounced /ʧɑːv/) are mainly derogatory slang terms in the United Kingdom for a stereotype fixated on low quality or counterfeit goods. It commonly refers to those belonging to a youth sub-culture, often stereotypically associated with a low socio-economic class, a striking dress sense and criminal activity. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ...

The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.^[1][2] There are regional variations; in the North East of England the variant charv / charva is most commonly used (particularly in Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland areas, where the term originated.) and has been used since the early 1990s, while in the South East of England and South West of England chav is the usual form. The term differs depending on area and dialect; in Scotland, they are known as "neds". North-East England is one of the nine official regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and a small part of North Yorkshire. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Sunderland (disambiguation). ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... Look up ned in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.^[3] The term has also been associated with juvenile delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", "Hoodie culture", and "Yob culture". Classism (a term formed by analogy with racism) is any form of prejudice or oppression against people who are in, or who are perceived as being like those who are in, a lower social class (especially in the form of lower or higher socioeconomic status) within a class society. ... Juvenile delinquency refers to criminal acts performed by juveniles. ... Asbo redirects here. ... Man wearing a hoodie A hoodie (also hoody, bunnyhug), at one time hooded sweatshirt, is a heavy upper-body garment with a hood. ... Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth or thuggish blue collar person. ...

Etymology

The accepted etymology for "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word "chavi", meaning a child.^[4] Related words derived from the same source include "charva" meaning prostitute (used in north-east England in a similar sense). In modern Spanish "chaval", "chavo" or "chavón" means "lad" (eg: El Chavo, a Mexican television comedy whose principal character is a street orphan).^[5] This article is about the language spoken by Roma people. ... El Chavo del 8 (Spanish for: The Kid from the [apartment number] 8) is a Mexican television show that has gained a great amount of popularity in Latin America as well as in Spain and other countries. ...

Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" and "Council House Adult Vermin".^[6] It has also been suggested that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College and Cheltenham College used the word to describe the younger men of the town ("Cheltenham Average").^[7] Similarly, it has been thought to originate from the Medway Towns where it was used to describe people from the town of Chatham ("Chatham Average"). Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways: A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word, a false etymology. ... A backronym (or bacronym) is a phrase that is constructed after the fact from a previously existing abbreviation, the abbreviation being an initialism or an acronym. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... It is located in Cheltenham, a spa town in the English Cotswolds. ... Cheltenham College is a famous English co-educational independent school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ... This article is about Medway in England. ... Chatham is the name of an English town that developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway in the county of Kent. ...

Popularisation in the media

From its origins as a slang term, use of the word spread so rapidly 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"^[8] in 2004.^[9] 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. Susie Dent is a British lexicographer born in Woking in the late 1960s. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ...

The "chav culture" has been portrayed extensively in 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, simply making a mockery of the subject.^[10] The British car tuning magazine Max Power once had a beige Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier stickered to make it look like the Burberry check, named it the "Chavalier" and gave it to the band.

• Footballer Wayne Rooney^[11] and girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin,^[12] rapper Lady Sovereign,^[13] glamour model Jordan,^[14] actress Danniella Westbrook,^[15], former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody^[16] and Kerry Katona^[17] have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

• The popular character Lauren Cooper and her friends Lisa and Ryan from the BBC's comedy series The Catherine Tate Show exhibit clear Chav style clothing, behaviour, mannerisms and musical interests, along with surly attitudes. Fellow sketch comedy series Little Britain features a character with some similarities, Vicky Pollard.

• In the 2005 reality TV programme Bad Lads Army: Officer Class, a number of small time thieves and street brawlers underwent 1950's style National Service Army training to see which of them would be worthy of becoming a British Army officer. The motto of the show was to convert "chavs" into "chaps".

• In the UK TV series Doctor Who, the character Rose Tyler is referred to as a chav. When her consciousness is taken over by another character, she looks in a mirror and remarks "Oh my God, I'm a chav!" and later says upon re-entering her body "Oh great, chav-tastic again". This is apparently a reference to the character's attire rather than behaviour.

This article is about the country. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Goldie Lookin Chain are a hip hop group based in Newport, South Wales. ... Max Power can refer to: A pseudonym taken by the fictional character Homer Simpson in the episode Homer to the Max. ... The Vauxhall Cavalier was a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British subsidiary of General Motors from 1976 to 1995. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... McLoughlin modelling for George at Asda from the Times Magazine, 9 September 2006 Coleen Mary McLoughlin (born 3 April 1986 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is the fiancée of Manchester United F.C. and England football star, Wayne Rooney. ... Louise Amanda Harman (born December 19, 1985), known as Lady Sovereign, is an English MC[1][2]. // Lady Sovereign was raised in northwest Londons Chalkhill Estate, a public housing project where she says her upbringing could get dangerous or depressing[3]. She was influenced by her mothers Salt... Danniella Westbrook (born in Essex on 5 November 1973) is a British actress and presenter, known for playing Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders. ... Big Brother is a reality television series broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Channel 4 and E4. ... Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody[2] (born 5 June 1981) is a British reality television celebrity, who became famous after appearing on the Channel 4 reality show Big Brother in 2002 when she was 21 years old. ... Kerry Jayne Elizabeth Katona (born September 6, 1980 in Warrington, Cheshire, England) is an English television presenter, writer, magazine columnist and former pop singer with girl band Atomic Kitten. ... Lauren Alesha Masheka Tanesha Felicia Jane Cooper is a fictional character in The Catherine Tate Show. ... The Catherine Tate Show is an award-winning British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate who stars in all of the shows sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. ... This article is about the British TV show Little Britain. ... Vicky sniffing glue Vicky Pollard is a fictional character from the cult BBC TV and radio show Little Britain played by Matt Lucas. ... Bad Lads Army is a British reality TV programme shown on ITV1 based on the premise of subjecting delinquent individuals to the conditions of British National Service of the 1950s in order to rehabilitate them. ... This article is about the television series. ... Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character played by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...

Criticism of the stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; some argue that it amounts simply to snobbery and elitism,^[3] and that serious 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,”^[18] and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class.^[15] 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.^[19] The writer John Harris argued along similar lines in a 2007 article in The Guardian.^[20] A snob, guilty of snobbery or snobbism, is a person who imitates the manners, adopts the world-view and apes the lifestyle of a social class of people to which that person does not by right belong. ... Asbo redirects here. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... Social mobility is the degree to which, in a given society, an individuals social status can change throughout the course of their life (known as intragenerational mobility), or the degree to which that individuals offspring and subsequent generations move up and down the class system (intergenerational mobility). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... Julie Burchill (born July 3, 1959 in Frenchay, Bristol) is an English writer, renowned for her invective and often contentious prose. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... For other persons named John Harris, see John Harris (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ...

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. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... This article is about the British television station. ...

Commercial effect

Burberry, the clothing company whose products were initially associated with the stereotype, has argued that it is linked to 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."^[21] The company has taken a number of steps to distance itself from the stereotype. It ceased production of its own branded baseball cap in 2004 and has scaled back the use of its trademarked checkered/tartan design to such an extent that it now only appears on the inner linings and other very low-key positions of their clothing.^[22][23] It has also taken legal action against high-profile infringements of the brand. In August 2006, a company introducing tuk-tuk vehicles into the south coast resort of Brighton, England named one the "Chavrolet" which had it painted in the distinctive Burberry tartan. However, the company soon had to withdraw this vehicle after being threatened with proceedings for breach of copyright by the Burberry company.^[24] Burberry is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and other apparel. ... For other uses, see Counterfeit (disambiguation). ... Chief Executive redirects here. ... A baseball cap worn with the bill at the front, shading the eyes A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiffened and curved peak and it is worn by men, women and children. ... Passengers and drivers meet at this auto rickshaw stand in Chennai. ... For other places with the same name, see Brighton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

In 2005, Bluewater Shopping Centre banned hooded tops from anywhere in their complex.^[25] Pubs in Leicester announced that they would ban young people wearing certain fashion brands, including Burberry, due to a link between some of these brands and football hooliganism.^[26] Bluewater Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping mall located in Greenhithe in the borough of Dartford, just outside London in north-west Kent. ... This article discusses Leicester in England. ... Football hooliganism (sometimes described as the English Disease) is hooliganism by football club supporters. ...

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.”^[27] This article is about the supermarket chain. ...

See also

• Stereotype
• Social class
• Moral panic
• Folk devil
• Lumpenproletariat
• Underclass
• Subculture
• Deviancy
• Hoody
• Ned
• Scally
• White trash
• Bogan

For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Moral panic is a sociological term, coined by Stanley Cohen, meaning a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... A folk devil is a person or group of people who are portrayed in folklore or the media as outsiders and deviant, and who are blamed for crimes or other sorts of social problems. ... The lumpenproletariat (German Lumpenproletariat, rabble-proletariat; raggedy proletariat) is a term originally defined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in The German Ideology (1845), their famous second joint work, and later expounded upon in future works by Marx. ... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ... Deviant behavior is behavior that is a recognized violation of cultural norms. ... A hoody (sometimes also spelled hoodie) is a pullover sweatshirt with a hood. ... Look up ned in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Scally is a derogatory slang term for a social subculture, similar to chav, but with different origins. ... For other uses, see White trash (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bogan (disambiguation). ...

References

Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Keith Hayward and Majid Yar (2006). "The "chav" phenomenon: Consumption, media and the construction of a new underclass". Crime, Media, Culture 2 (1): 9–28. doi:10.1177/1741659006061708. 

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

External links

Articles

• Larcombe, Duncan. "Future bling of England", The Sun Online, 2006-04-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• Ward, David. "Get hip to Chav as this year's wizard word", The Guardian, Guardian Unlimited, 2004-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• Jackson, Melissa. "Music to deter yobs by", BBC News Magazine, bbc.co.uk, 2005-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• "End Of 'Hooligan' Cap", Sky News, 2004-09-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• Lewis, Jemima. "In defence of snobbery", Daily Telegraph, 2004-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• Harris, John. "So now we've finally got our very own 'white trash'", The Guardian, Guardian Unlimited, 2007-03-06. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
• Burberry