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Chavs And Chav Nots

by | 19th, October 2004

‘THE word on the street is not ‘cocaine’, nor is it ‘crack’, ‘smack’, ‘whizz’ or ‘trips’.

The Queen of Chavs

According to the Mirror, which has seen the new Oxford University Press book, Larpers and Shroomers: The Language Report, the word on the street is ‘chav’.

For those of you not in the know, who try to avoid things that buzz lest they get stung, the paper explains its meaning.

Chav, dear reader, refers to someone who wears ‘prison white trainers’, branded sportswear, and is prone to appearing on ITV’s confessional show for the mentally challenged, Trisha.

The Mail says it’s the word used to describe the ‘ill-mannered underclass’, whose King and Queen are Liam Gallagher and Danniella Westbrook.

It’s an interesting word, based, according to the paper, on the mid-19th century Romany ‘Chavi’, meaning child – although, the Express says it’s thought to come from Chatham, Kent, where council estate chic was first identified as a fad.

Lesson over, we appreciate its buzzword status but wonder who says it’s the official buzzword of 2004?

And for its elevated status we have to thank the book’s author, Ms Susie Dent, who can be often seen on TV’s Countdown, seated in the show’s Dictionary Corner.

She says chav’s a horrible word and the pick of a raft of buzzwords to have emerged recently.

Other are shroomer (someone who takes magic mushroom) and Larpers (a Live Action Role Playing).

Or hippies and nerds, as those not yet up with fashion still call them…’



Posted: 19th, October 2004 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink