Mr.men

[thecorner]

see that childrens show have now created a mr.chav

[$Leon$]

this may seem a stupid question to most people out there but where does the term CHAV originate? i not what one is (i've seen sky's top 10 chavs or chav of the year awards or what ever they call it)

[thecorner]

Chav is almost certainly from the Romany word for a child, chavi, recorded from the middle of the nineteenth century. We know it was being used as a term of address to an adult man a little later in the century, but it hasn’t often been recorded in print since and its derivative chav is quite new to most people.

from here

[drinkfeckarse]

I've always thought people covered in Burberry look like fanny's so maybe it originates from the term "coz he's a vagina"........

[$Leon$]

Chav is almost certainly from the Romany word for a child, chavi, recorded from the middle of the nineteenth century. We know it was being used as a term of address to an adult man a little later in the century, but it hasn’t often been recorded in print since and its derivative chav is quite new to most people.

from here

no one is certain then. prefer the word sk@nger ( think its on the banned list)myself more used to this word and seems less english which is always good. i always felt it perfectly summed up these sort of people. CHV or AJH are other personal favourites

[dcfcsteve]

Chav is indeed very very new in common parlance - no more than 1-2yrs in England I'd say. If you'd described anyone with that word before then you'd have had to explain what you meant.

The word 'charver' has been used for years by Mancs though - which that site says is the Romany word for prostitute. Wouldn't be suprised is 'chav' is just a derivative of the word 'charver' as it travelled South. Find it strange that a word has exploded into common usage seemingly out of the blue.

[A face]

I always thought it came from the expression "Chav a light mate ?" or "Chav a fiver mate, so i can get a full crate of Stella ?" or "Chav a brick mate. so when you turn the corner ... i'll smash your window and nick you car ... mate ?"

[Longfordian]

The word 'charver' has been used for years by Mancs though - which that site says is the Romany word for prostitute. Wouldn't be suprised is 'chav' is just a derivative of the word 'charver' as it travelled South. Find it strange that a word has exploded into common usage seemingly out of the blue.

I've heard the word 'charver' used around here for years, generally in the context of a shift/snog/whatever..a local slang word, hadn't heard of chav until recently though

[CollegeTillIDie]

Well folks, according to someone interviewed on the radio a few short months ago.... CHAV allegedly means... Council House Vermin

[Éanna]

I heard it came from "Cheltenham Average" Apparently some girls in an upper class school in cheltenham came up with it to describe the "Lower classes" in the town

[piratemousey]

also have a look at
www.chavscum.co.uk

youll get plenty of aswers there,

[Pauro 76]

What was the word for Chavs before the word just got all over the place.. Pikeys is a very common term... the term 'ned' is used a lot in Scotland, and it apparantly stands for 'Non Educated Delinquent!"

[1 9 2 8]

see that childrens show have now created a mr.chav

Another Mr Men for Harps supporters to copy

[lopez]

Chav is indeed very very new in common parlance - no more than 1-2yrs in England I'd say. If you'd described anyone with that word before then you'd have had to explain what you meant.

The Corner is correct as far as I'm concerned. I've used the word for years since I've had kids. 'Get the chavs (or chavies) ready for the car, love.' when we are going out, etc. Don't know where it comes from. Could be cockney, mockney, English traveller or possibly even London-Jewish/Yiddish. However, chav has now been so much associated with 'Council House Vermin' recently that I tend to restrain from using the word since people have shortened it from chavscum to chav. Bit like people thinking twice about saying that 'I feel gay today' towards the end of the sixties.

[pete]

I never heard of the term until seen some stupid tv show about.

Suppose because we are saturated by uk media we can't stop importing their phrases into this country. I think we show try to stop words like this that have no meaning here making into common use.

[lopez]

Agree. I hate this phenomen of Irish kids using 'tw@t' 'plonker' 'pillock' 'mate' 'innit' etc. etc.

You should see the chavs here then. One I had to interact with the other day at work was like Ali G, talking in a patois and conjugating all words into the third person - E.g: I is. And no he wasn't a white boy left in the ghetto - he was from Chesham which is whiter than most parts of Ireland these days.

[Troy.McClure]

Who gives a flying (insert anglo-saxon swearword of your choice)

West Brit D4s?

[dahamsta]

Agree. I hate this phenomen of Irish kids using 'tw@t' 'plonker' 'pillock' 'mate' 'innit' etc. etc.

When they shorten "mate" to "m8" on the web I go completely bonkers, mostly because I can never decide whether to attribute it to extreme laziness or sheer stupidity. (Usually a combination of both, I find.)

adam

[lopez]

When they shorten "mate" to "m8" on the web I go completely bonkers, mostly because I can never decide whether to attribute it to extreme laziness or sheer stupidity. (Usually a combination of both, I find.)

adam

2 me dats a str8 red.