Discuss: Banning the word chav (From News Shopper)

Discuss: Banning the word chav

10:03am Thursday 17th July 2008

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HEAR the word chav and what comes into your mind? If a think tank has its way you might not hear the word for much longer.

The word chav has been around for a long time - believed to be a travellers' word for friend or a Romany word for child.

It has become a widely used word in the past five years, usually a derogatory term to refer to the dress or behaviour of a young Vicky Pollard type character.

The common stereotype for a chav is big earrings and pulled-back hair for a woman or bling jewellery and baseball caps for men, usually accompanied by designer sportswear and a brash attitude.

Now the left-wing think tank the Fabian Society wants people to stop using the slang term as it is a form of "class hatred" against the young working class.

The society says the word is a "sneering and patronising" put-down which is offensive to many people.

Dictionaries refer to a chav being a person of "low social status" or "uneducated and ignorant".

What do you think? Should the word chav be outlawed? Is the use of it just light-hearted fun-poking, an example of snobbery or is it more serious and offensive than that? If someone called you a chav would you get upset? The word 'pikey' is now deemed to be a racist offence, so should the same apply to chav? Add your comments below.

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