Interesting English Vernacular-- The Chav 022706

Sorry guys! I completely forgot to post this!

So, today someone referred to Bracknell as a "chav town." Sometimes I feel like they are speaking a different language all together. Don't worry. I've done some research. Here we go. Chav is a derogatory slang term in popular usage throughout the UK. It refers to a subculture stereotype of a person who is uneducated, uncultured and prone to antisocial or immoral behavior. The label is typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults of white working-class or lower-middle class origin. Chav is used for both sexes, where a male chav is sometimes referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. There are many thoughts to the origin of the term. Some says it comes from Counsel Housed and Violent. Other says it is a derivation of Can't Have.
Chavs usually wear designer labels including the chav favorite 'Burberry', and if they’re girls, very short skirts, large hoop earrings and stilettos. Chavs see branded baseball caps as a status symbol and wear them at every opportunity. They are seen most often in Timberland boots or Reebok trainers. They are normally found hanging around shopping centers. Also known as Townies, Kevs, Hood Rats, Charvers, Steeks, Stigs, Bazzas, Yarcos, Ratboys, Chorer, Skangers, Scutters, Janners, Kappa Slappers, Scallies, and Spides. Also known as Neds in Scotland, knackers & skangers in Ireland, and Guidos in the USA
Hmm.. Interesting. So in this research I was amazed at the websites I dug up dedicated to chavs. I found http://www.chavtowns.co.uk/, http://chavscum.co.uk/ (A user's guide to Britain's peasant underclass that are taking over our towns and cities!), www.chavworld.co.uk/ (Chav World - Enter the world of the chav! Coz its Bling innit!), and on and on… there were over 1.25 million hits!
Here is my favorite part… they even list celebrity Chavs. The ranks include Britney, Christina, 50 Cent, David and Victoria Beckham, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, and on and on. However, they do list a Chav rating. Surprising, the Britster only ranked 4 out of 5. I would have given her a 5.
There are games where you pick pocket and run from the cops. There is even Chav merchandise. One t-shirt slogan has the Donald's logo and says "I'm chavin' it." Another has a trash can and says "Keep Britain Tidy. Bin a Chav!"
Not only are chav, chavster and chavette commonly used, but there is also chavtastic (a personal favorite) and chavvy. Here are some sentences to help: He was wearing a Burberry baseball cap, Rockport boots, tracksuit bottoms and a fat gold chain draped around his neck - it was the most chavtastic sight to behold this year.
It is really interesting to bring this up to a Brit and watch them go. They are really impressed that Chavs are taking over Britain and not respecting their rightful place. Wow! And who said feudalism is dead!