I keep hearing about "Chavs" back in England.

I understand they are less than desirable but what is a "Chav",where did they spring and why are they so prevelant?

I have to ask as the word wasn't part of the language when I left 13 years ago.

Chav ( ) is a term applied to certain young people in the United Kingdom. The stereotypical "chav"--known also as a charver in Yorkshire and North East England--is an aggressive teenager, typically unemployed or of white working class background, who repeatedly engages in anti-social behaviour ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

Lots of helpful information on chavs here:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...highlight=chav

Thanks, so they've always been around just never been labeled ?

modern day teddy boy, etc.

I haven't read through the links but 'chav' is a slang word for someone whom lives in a "Council House And Violent"

Yes. My mum just used to call them 'common as muck.' And then when we were teenagers, we called them "Shazes and Bazes" (as in Shaz for Sharon and Baz for Barry). Just the same old same old.

And the Aussies call theirs 'Bogans'...

When in doubt I go to the OED for word origins and history, and this is what they have;

Etymology: Probably either < Romani čhavo unmarried Romani male, male Romani child (see chavvy n.), or shortened < either chavvy n. or its etymon Angloromani chavvy.
It has also been suggested that this word is a colloquial shortening of Chatham, the name of a town in Kent where the term is sometimes said to have originated (compare quots. 1998, 2002), although this is probably a later rationalization.

So with this etymology noted, if you go to the OED entry for chavvy, you get;

Etymology: < Angloromani chavvy child (compare Romani čhavo male Romani child), ultimately < Sanskrit śāva the young of any animal....

Brit. slang (orig. cant).

A baby, a child.
1886 W. Newton Secrets Tramp Life Revealed 9 Chavies‥. Children—Boys or Girls.
1898 T. Watts-Dunton Coming of Love 29 She loves to see her chavi lookin' grand.
1914 J. Hounam in Sc. Nat. Dict. (1941) II. 83/2 [Dumfriesshire] Has she gotten a chavie?

Chavs

Wear tracksuit pants and gold chains, think the Beckhams are the most amazing people on the planet.

look abit like pikies....

chav brands like Burburry, Kappa, (infact chav girls are often referred too as Kappa Slapp*r)

Daniella Westbrook and Jordon are well known Chavs as was the late Jade Goody.

So damaged by the attachment to Chavs, Burberry considered leaving the Uk altogether

Dont worry they are everywhere in the UK, not just Essex or Manchester so youll find out soon enough.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney are chav royalty

As they always have been. There's really nothing new here - just the "fashions" have changed. We have them over here too - The Jersey Shore crowd are the ultimate chavs.

But there's something that makes me uncomfortable about the whole idea - this lumping together a group of people into one category, as though they have no other defining characteristics, just for the purpose of looking down on them.

OMG - (Chav) ladies' 'Day At The Races'.....


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...nty-thigh.html

(the comments below the report indicate that the racegoers are 'Scouse chavs' (ie. from Liverpool)

Sherro's got it right on the money. My good friend in London is forever sending me pics of chavs

UK Chav = US Trailer Trash.

Trailer Trash live to appear on Jerry Springer
Chavs live to appear on Jeremy Kyle.

Note: I am not inferring that all residents of trailer courts are lacking in moral turpitude.