CHAV , is it really a bad word?

[BigPhil]

Council House Adult Vacant

the term chav accuratly descibes the way some people live , it actually doesnt tell you anything about the people or the way they behave or dress.

so why do some people not like the use of the word?

[snorky]

Its a sneery shitty view of people you consider to be below you in the social order - its originally an romany workd for young man - not sure where the acromym you use came from. a guilt free experince for most - theres nothing racist in chav, despite its identification with a specific section of society - you cant do casual racism now, but you can call someone a chav.

Guardian readers began to use it a little while ago - you can take the piss out of people on the sly without involving the ire of your chattering middle class chums. an awful nasty lazy way to categorise people.

[Moos]

Without the tedious cut-and-paste classwar swipe, what snorky said.

[daizie]

its a great word , saves time and explaination .

[jaybee82]

Agreed Daizie - I think its pretty innocuous. And theres loads of other words about to categorise all sorts of people from pikeys to toffs so no one gets away scot free!

[HonaloochieB]

I like the original Romany word and uised it quite a bit, it tended to be 'chavvy' that I used.

"Dick-eye chavvy" as Jimmy Pursey once cried in the middle of Sham 69 tune.

Nowadays it's code for one who wears a Burberry baseball cap.

[HonaloochieB]

daizie Wrote:

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> its a great word , saves time and explaination .

So which is it worse to be, a pikey or a chav?

If I'm going to update the Two Ronnies/John Cleese 'class' sketch it's essential I have this information.

[cupid_stunt]

agree with snorky's poetry. as a working class boy done well good, i guess i'm a chav or of chav stock, shock horror! hate the fact that 'educated' fools find the need to continually attack those they deem beneath them. call me a 'banker' and i'd be really insulted....

[mockney piers]

I'm willing to concede that if people find it offensive and sneering (and doubtless it is often used with either or both intents) then I'm not going to pursue it's liberation as a cause.

But I always took chav to be a certain attitude, regardless of class; god knows in Letchworth town centre of a saturday afternoon it's just as likely to be middle class kids called Timmy hanging around with their hoodies up and their trousers practically down, flobbing on the ground and intimidating little old ladies than the lads from the Jackman's estate, most of whom have better things to do like jobs and the like.

In my day we called them wallies.

How about oik, is that ok?

[HonaloochieB]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> How about oik, is that ok?

Only if you're a toff. So yes.

[mockney piers]

cheeky oik!!

[Moos]

*thinks*

perhaps chav (like pikey) implies background, whereas oik implies behaviour.

[Mikecg]

Hood Rat is a new one that I heard my daughter say on the phone describing some of the kids in the area, made me chuckle.

[HonaloochieB]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> cheeky oik!!

And proud of it. Like Alf Tupper The Tough Of The Track used to say "I'll run them toffs"

And he did mostly, then had fish and chips out of newspaper.

His haircut was quite an influence on the late Sid Vicious.

[Brendan]

I think chav describes a certain subculture more than background.

I know siblings where one is most definitely and openly a chav and the other is definitely not. Same background, different approach to life. It has something to do with a lack of self respect and shit dress sense.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Yes, for a myriad of reasons.

[mockney piers]

I'm with you Brendan, but if people really don't like it I'm happy not to insist.

Just don't take oik from me, it's one of my favourite words.

[LegalEagle-ish]

I'm white and working class and find it extremely offensive.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

LegalEagle-ish Wrote:

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> I'm white and working class and find it extremely

> offensive.

Ma Boom Ting Legal! Seen Mi Sistren! Seen!

[daizie]

So am I Legal, but im not a chav so it doesnt offend

[daizie]

however, i do believe balanced people need a bit of chav dom / activity in their lives, i buy the sun just to read my horoscopes and occasionally put in my gold hoops :)

[LegalEagle-ish]

That's nice for you daizie, but I haven't totally sold out my class so it does offend me.

Plus I've been a Council tenant for about 25 years and have so far resisted the temptation to buy, because I was brought up to believe that council housing/schools/hospitals etc belong to all of us and it's morally wrong to sell them off for a quick buck.

Sorry - didn't mean it to sound harsh but it pisses me off that working class people have also adopted the word Chav as a put down to the 'underclass, in the same sneering, gang up and bully the bottom of the pile way that the middle/upper classes do.

Where's the working class solidarity gone?

[jaybee82]

bit harsh

[bigbadwolf]

Daizie I think you and I would get on quite well.

I come from both a middle and working class background, it does happen now and again people. My mothers side is very working class and they and I often use the word 'pikey' and 'chav'. For me it sums up the type of people (mostly white) who although do 99% of the time come from a working class background choose to act like a c&nt 99% of the time.

[daizie]

Legal i do know what you are saying, however, i do use the word chav for selfish/ignorant/rotweiller owning/3 kids by different fathers/look at me arent i clever but going nowhere/ sorts.