What is a "chav"?

[trish1234567]

Can anyone tell me the origin of "chav".

trish1234567

[smudge]

Apparently CHAV is short for: Council House & Violent or Violence. I believe ChavvieChav is a nickname for a pikey 'boy'.

[smudge]

* Chavvie or Chav.

[tartanwiz]

'Chav' is of Gypsy origin.  Chavvi = child, boy or lad.  Therefore, a chav means a lad, literally.  But in common parlance it means an ignorant, delinquent, uneducated lower class thuggy lad.  What the Americans call 'white trash'.  Similarly, the word 'yob' ('boy' backwards) was used in the same way until recently.  Recently the abbreviation 'Council House And Violent' was put to the term chav, but that is not the true origin , as I've just explained.  In Scotland chavs are called 'neds' (going back to the 'Teddy Boys' of the 50s), but recently have had the abbreviation Non-Educated Delinquent put to them.  Again not the true origin.

[Peter Pedant]

Some discussion in the media on this - Daily Telegraph - in the recent weeks. The one I like is the gels of Cheltenham Ladies' College - no it really exists, it is a girls' private skool, expensive and they still learn the kids good there - used to refer to the townspeople of their alma mater as CHeltenham AVerage

[spiff]

I'm from Carlisle, and for at least 100 years the word "charver" has been used to describe a boy or young man. This term is used in a non derogatory manner-it's just descriptive. i.e "What's the name of that charver with the long hair that works in the pub?"

[lizzierose]

I'm sure i read somewhere that some very similar word had meant female servant or cleaner or something early last century, so it became associated with working class jobs or something

[trish1234567]

Thanks everybody for the origin of "chav". I see I have quite a few to choose from but I've got the gist now.  Seems I don't frequent the pubs enough to pick up the language. trish1234567.

[jno]

but girls can be chavs too, right, unlike yobs? (Sorry, I get out to pubs even less than trish)

[LordyGeordie]

for a fuller explanation of what a chav is is, check out www.chavscum.com