When is a Chav not a Chav?

following on from another post and a comment made about people with tattoos being chavs (thanks DF3 ), It made me start thinking what constitutes a chav? I mean most of us can spot them when we see them, but is there a series of definitive characteristics? or are there degrees of chav-ness?
Surely none of us here could be included?
but funnily enough - Wikipedia (who's word of course is gospel ) says "The stereo type of a chav includes wearing branded designer sportswear. Stereotypical attire might be accompanied by some form of gold jewellery, otherwise termed 'bling' "
Hmm - sounds like a load of runners after finishing a race (branded sportswear, medal. . . .)
so is it attitude? IQ? clothing? or a whole smorgasbord of stuff?

we don't have chavs. we have neds

it is all of those things but chiefly a complete disregard for societal norms of behaviour. they are like modern-day outlaws

I was in a sports shop the other day and two neds came in. I was queuing quietly to buy socks and had been gazing at a pogo stick near the till. Of course one of the neds immediately leapt on it and started boinging around the shop, knocking boxes flying and causing general mayhem.

I'll wager that he was doing what deep down I and the other people in the queue would probably have wanted to do, were we not tied down by normal standards of protocol. In short, he didn't care what anyone thought, he did what he wanted. Part of me wishes that was me. Most of me doesn't though.

I think some people here think a chav is anyone who is working class and/or a teenager.  My definition would be a little more specific but to be honest it's been done to death.

Ah, that'll be scotland then?
itsnt that scottish slang for 'hooligan' or something?

non-educated delinquent

interesting where the term comes from, apparantly it comes from the romany for 'child'? (chavi). not sure if thats true but most of them seems to act like 2 year olds

the dude abides wrote (see)

non-educated delinquent

nice one!

I think gypsies kind of sum things up for me .....

Max's Mum wrote (see)

It made me start thinking what constitutes a chav? 

Someone who messes about with Play Stations ?

Dunno, Gypsies are a different thing altogether surely? chavs tend to be more urban and affiliated to lonsdale?

Dave The Ex- Spartan wrote (see)

Max's Mum wrote (see)

It made me start thinking what constitutes a chav? 

Someone who messes about with Play Stations ?

I know a couple of university graduates who might disagree with you

Or was that a reference to the Playstation 4 thread!

For me it's a way of supercilious people to define those they think are beneath them. Horrible word.

Council House And Violent

Just one definition I heard somewhere.

Peter Collins wrote (see)

For me it's a way of supercilious people to define those they think are beneath them. Horrible word.

'for' I meant, not 'of'...

Peter Collins wrote (see)

Peter Collins wrote (see)

For me it's a way of supercilious people to define those they think are beneath them. Horrible word.

'for' I meant, not 'of'...

agree

I just think it is a word that people use about other people they think are beneath them - growing up they would have been skins, mods or punks.

I agree with Peter Collins too. I don't use that word because I think it's a way of sneering at a whole group of people. When I was at school we had words for different groups which could be loosely mapped onto social class but were mainly related to fashion and music preferences (the nearest equivalent for the branded-sportswear wearers was 'townie', as contrasted with 'grungers' who were more alternative). There wasn't that horrible class-based snobbery that you get with the word 'chav'. Yuck.