As a red head, I too am concerned.
Why do the English make fun of 'gingers'??
by Jez 45 Replies latest jw friends
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jaffacake
who asked about Chav?
Suddenly the world has discovered this slang word. I was brought up in the slums of Newcastle where we used this word to describe each other (street urchins) in an affectionate sort of way. But we pronounced it differently more like charva, it was almost a term usedout of friendly respect, a bit like bro, nothing more really.
The pronunciation and meaning have been slightly distorted as the term seems to have been discovered/resurrected nationwide and beyond. I'm an original charva, I suppose, yet my folks were not on benefits & stuff.
I do not know where it originates from. Have any other Brits here heard of this word before the last couple of years. If not I do suspect it comes from Geordieland.
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jaffacake
btw my son has ginger hair too, does that make him a ginger charva?
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the bandersnatch esq.
I heard the word "charver" came from Ashington pitmatic; it meant "child" originally. A bit "our kid" in Manchester. Hence your usage of it in a friendly way, unlike the current usage.
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jaffacake
Wow bandersnatch, that's interesting, so my theory might be close to the truth. I still wonder how it suddenly gets such prominence.
btw you being so close to home makes me worry about my cover getting blown, suppose it was a bit silly posting my photo. I may have to replace it with the Pleiades again he he.
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PaulJ
Chavs. I hadnt heard of this expression until recently, previously I had called them 'Bazza's' and their girlfriends 'Shazza's'. The best phrase I have heard is 'Rat-Children'.
They are the ones that hang around outside off licences or other 7-11 type supermarkets, as well as bus shelters, any wall that can be sat on and fish and chip shops. They are all across britain, especially in larger cities. They dress in a combination of replica sportsware- a baseball cap is crucial, and cheap gold jewelry. They are in their prime during their teen-years where bad acne and 'attitude' complete the package.
Traditionally they listen to 3 types of music- hard-house dance, r'n'b and rap. If their giro can stretch to it, they will drive a cheap car with expensive modifications. eg. where the car stereo is actually worth more than the vehicle itself. This car is capable of 2 speeds- 0mph and 60mph. They like nothing more than to be noticed by screeching around their council estate with music blaring, in their "tricked out ride".
Usually they are very aggressive and look to cause trouble 'for a laugh'. As has been said beofre they are an under-class and generally not nice people. You only really see younger chavs, because by the time they reach their mid-twenties, they will be in prison.
Just an observation........
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MidwichCuckoo
cheap gold jewelry
BLING.
Is Vicky Pollard a chav?
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dh
you say it like there is something wrong with making fun of gingers
just kidding
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mtbatoon
My understanding is that chav is a Romany term and has been used in Kent for as long as I can remember, chav, chavvie, me old chav mate.
The ginner thing is an Anglo Saxon thing because red hair would mark you out as having Irish or Scottish ancestry. An interesting fact is that in 18 th century when urine was a major source of ammonia for the textile industries, red haired gentlemen could charge twice as much for there output.
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aniron
According to a TV item the other day the term "chav" now means people, usually young, who have lots of money to spend but have no idea how to spend it. Prime examples being footballers wives/girl friends , like Wayne Rooneys girl Colleen McCoughlin. They can usually be spotted by their garish outfits, mismatched clothes, lots of gold jewelery etc., continuous shopping sprees.
Also the term "ginger" is short in rhyming slang . For "Ginger Beer" meaning "Queer" ie. homosexual.