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* Lottery millionaire [[Michael Carroll (lottery winner)|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 tabloid media.
* Lottery millionaire [[Michael Carroll (lottery winner)|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 tabloid media.


* The [[Wales|Welsh]] [[hip hop music|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..<ref>{{cite news|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article51484.ece|title=|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2004-08-13]]|title= Goldie Lookin' Chain: Chain reaction}}</ref> 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.
* The [[Wales|Welsh]] [[hip hop music|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article51484.ece|title=|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2004-08-13]]|title= Goldie Lookin' Chain: Chain reaction}}</ref> 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]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Wheeler|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4077626.stm|title=Leave chavs alone, say MPs|publisher=BBC News|date=[[2005-06-30]]}}</ref> and girlfriend [[Coleen McLoughlin]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Guy|last=Patrick|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005570777,00.html|title=Chav a merry Xmas, Roo|publisher=The Sun|date=2005}}</ref> rapper [[Lady Sovereign]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Johnny|last=Davis|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article357152.ece|title=Lady Sovereign : The country's fourth biggest chav|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2006-04-15]]}}</ref> glamour model [[Jordan (Katie Price)|Jordan]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20050911/ai_n15367608|title=Say cheese! Camilla and the Queen of Chav enjoy two right royal|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2005-09-11]]|first=Sholto|last=Byrnes}}</ref>, actress [[Danniella Westbrook]],<ref name=dissertation /> and former ''[[Big Brother (UK)|Big Brother]]'' contestant [[Jade Goody]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Karen|last=McVeigh|url=http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1213032004|title=Doff your caps to the chavs ...they're THE word of 2004|publisher=The Scotsman|date=[[2004-10-19]]}}</ref> have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.
* Footballer [[Wayne Rooney]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Wheeler|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4077626.stm|title=Leave chavs alone, say MPs|publisher=BBC News|date=[[2005-06-30]]}}</ref> and girlfriend [[Coleen McLoughlin]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Guy|last=Patrick|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005570777,00.html|title=Chav a merry Xmas, Roo|publisher=The Sun|date=2005}}</ref> rapper [[Lady Sovereign]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Johnny|last=Davis|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article357152.ece|title=Lady Sovereign : The country's fourth biggest chav|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2006-04-15]]}}</ref> glamour model [[Jordan (Katie Price)|Jordan]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20050911/ai_n15367608|title=Say cheese! Camilla and the Queen of Chav enjoy two right royal|publisher=The Independent|date=[[2005-09-11]]|first=Sholto|last=Byrnes}}</ref>, actress [[Danniella Westbrook]],<ref name=dissertation /> and former ''[[Big Brother (UK)|Big Brother]]'' contestant [[Jade Goody]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Karen|last=McVeigh|url=http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1213032004|title=Doff your caps to the chavs ...they're THE word of 2004|publisher=The Scotsman|date=[[2004-10-19]]}}</ref> have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

Revision as of 13:32, 18 September 2007

Look up chav or charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Caricature of a stereotypical chav

Chav, Charv/Charver (male) and Chavette (female) ('ch' pronounced as in chair) are mainly derogatory slang terms in the United Kingdom for a subcultural stereotype fixated on fashions derived from American Hip-hop such as imitation gold jewellery and designer clothing, combined with elements of working class British street fashion. The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.[1][2]

There are regional variations; in the north east of England (particularly in Newcastle and Gateshead), the variant charv or charver/charva is most commonly used and has been used since the early 1990s, while in the south east chav and chavette are the usual forms. What is unusual is that the vowel in charver is ɑ (as in 'far') and the mainstream UK equivalent uses the a (as in 'cat') vowel in chav which goes against the usual North-South (a/ɑ) vowel distinction.

The defining features of the chav clothing is the Burberry pattern (notably a now-discontinued baseball cap) and from a variety of other casual and sportswear brands. Tracksuits, hoodies, track suit bottoms and baseball caps are particularly associated with this stereotype. 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 delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", "Hoodie culture", and "yob culture".

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" or "chavo" means "lad" (eg: El Chavo, a Mexican television comedy whose principal character is a street orphan).[5]

Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent"[6] and "Council House Associated Vermin" and "Cheap And Vulgar". 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] It is similarly thought to refer to Chatham Average.

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.

The "chav culture" has been portrayed extensively in British media:

  • 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 tabloid 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.
  • Singer Lily Allen has been described and criticised for being a chav. Because she does not come from a working class background she has also been criticised for pretending to be one.[17]

Criticism of the stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; some argue that it amounts simply to snobbery and classism,[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]

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 effect

The Burberry clothing brand, which quickly became synonymous with the chav subculture, ceased production of its branded baseball cap in 2004, in an attempt to distance itself from the stereotype. It also scaled back the use of its patented 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.[21][22]

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.”[23]

In August 2006 a company introducing tuctuc vehicles into the south coast resort of Brighton, England named one of the vehicles the “Chavrolet” and 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]

Additionally, the fall in the sale of thongs has been attributed partially to their association with female chavs.[25]

In 2005, Bluewater Shopping Centre banned hooded tops from anywhere in their complex.[26] Pubs in Leicester announced that they would ban young people wearing certain fashion brands due to an association between these brands and football hooliganism.[27]

The large supermarket chain ASDA has attempted to trademark the word “chav” for a new line of confectionery. ASDA spokeswoman Rebecca Liburd 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.”[28]

Synonyms and regional variants

See also

Social categorisation

Similar stereotypes from outside the UK

Rest of Europe

  • Denmark: Rapper tendencies. -->
  • Finland: Amis / Pissis
  • France: Racaille
  • Germany, Austria: Prollo, Proll, Asi, Kanacke
  • Ireland: Scanger and Howiya, Scobe, Norry, Millie, Knacker, Sham
  • Italy: Coatto
  • Latvia: Urla
  • Lithuania: Forsas, urlaganas, daigas
  • Malta: Hamallu
  • The Netherlands: Aso / Kamper
  • Norway: Harry, Råner
  • Poland: Dres
  • Portugal: Chunga, Mitra
  • Russia: Gopnik (Гопник), Luber (Любёр)
  • Sardinia: Gaggio
  • Slovenia: Čefur
  • Spain: Cañi
  • Sweden: Fjortis
  • Switzerland: Shibby / Shippy, Jugo


United States and Canada

Caribbean and Latin America

Australia and New Zealand

Asia

References

  1. ^ "'Asbo' and 'chav' make dictionary". BBC News. 2005-06-08. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  2. ^ Tweedie, Neil (2005-08-10). "Don't be a plank. Read this and get really clueful". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  3. ^ a b John, Harris (2006-04-11). "Bottom of the Class" (HTML). The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  4. ^ Quinion, Michael. "World Wide Words".
  5. ^ "Chaval definition at Yahoo Education". Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  6. ^ Anoop Nayak and Steve Drayton. "To charv or not to charver - that is the question". Inside Out - North East. BBC. Retrieved 2006-01-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Tweedie, Neil (2004-12-13). "Cheltenham ladies and the chavs". Daily Telegraph. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Noel-Tod, Jeremy (2005-04-03). "Colourful whitewash". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  9. ^ "AskOxford: Larpers and Shroomers: the Language Report". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2006-03-04.
  10. ^ "Goldie Lookin' Chain: Chain reaction". The Independent. 2004-08-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Wheeler, Brian (2005-06-30). "Leave chavs alone, say MPs". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Patrick, Guy (2005). "Chav a merry Xmas, Roo". The Sun.
  13. ^ Davis, Johnny (2006-04-15). "Lady Sovereign : The country's fourth biggest chav". The Independent. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Byrnes, Sholto (2005-09-11). "Say cheese! Camilla and the Queen of Chav enjoy two right royal". The Independent. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b Smith, Alison (2005-06-14). "Media student 'expert on chavs'". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ McVeigh, Karen (2004-10-19). "Doff your caps to the chavs ...they're THE word of 2004". The Scotsman. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Lilly Allen Disses Kate Moss While Sienna Is Out As Designer's Muse". VIPglamour.net. 2007-03-19. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  18. ^ Bennett, Oliver (2004-01-28). "Sneer nation". The Independent. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Burchill, Julie (2005-02-18). "Yeah but, no but, why I'm proud to be a chav". The Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Harris, John (2007-03-06). "So now we've finally got our very own 'white trash'". The Guardian. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "The £16m woman takes on Burberry". The Times.
  22. ^ "Check out the height of ferret fashion. Burberry has". The Telegraph.
  23. ^ King, Ian (2005-01-12). "Burberry not chavin' it". The Sun. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Kwintner, Adrian (13 September 2006). ""Burberry drives tuk-tuk off road"". Brighton & Hove Argus. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "The fall of the thong". 7days. 2005-08-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Mall bans shoppers' hooded tops". BBC NEWS.
  27. ^ "Pub-goers facing 'Burberry' ban". BBC news.
  28. ^ "ASDA tries to trade mark "chav"". AOL NEWS.
  29. ^ "Word of the Month". Oxford Teachers' Club. Retrieved 2006-01-19.
  30. ^ "Urban Dictionary: Meader". The Urban Dictionary. Retrieved 2006-12-06.

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.

Articles

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