Job Discussion Forums

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

I can't wait to leave the UK and get away from those scumbags!

JosephP · Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 445

Excellent.

MO39 · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:51 am Post subject:

OK, I'll bite. Not being from the UK, I have no idea what "chavs"are. Please explain...

JosephP · Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 445

A chav nativity scene...

MO39 · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject:

I know that "picture is worth a thousand words" or something to that effect, but I am still flummoxed about the identity of the mysterious "chavs" and why jakejakejake and JosephP are thrilled to be away from them! Confused

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

Basically they are folk of any age but generally between 10 and 25. They are marked by sports wear, stripy clothing, baseball caps. generally of working class background, of any ethnic background. agressive, dangerous, drunk, drugged up. of course there are some good chavs though...not many though.

They sum up everything that is wrong with the UK these days. Roaming the streets in large groups drunk causing trouble, intimidating people, terrorising neighbourhoods, smashing places up, mugging people, stabbing eachother, kicking people who stand up to them to death. And getting away with it or very lenient punishments.

It isn't overstated, its a disease that ravages parts of pretty much every town in the UK. Even in Shrewsbury where I live it is terrible in parts. I spent most weekends in the Bronx for a year and never felt intimidated. Walk through a council estate in Britain and you'll be lucky if nothing happens.

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

Tony: 'ear, lads. Look left.
Bazza: huh?

MO39 · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:46 pm Post subject:

JakeJakeJake,

Thanks for that very clear explanation of a serious social problem in the UK. In the US, we have gangs and other anti-social groups of young people, but they usually confine their activities to their own neighborhoods, which means that middle-class people like me don't have to deal with them on a regular basis.

From a linguistic point of view, and from a Mexican-Spanish point of view, the word "chav" in intriguing. Here, a "chavo" or "chava" is an innocuous word for "guy" or "girl". Could there be any connection between "chavo" and "chav" ?

john_n_carolina · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina

....Jake, haven't gangs and 'chav' type teenagers been around since the early 50's in England?

John Lennon always considered himself more of a 'TeddyBoy'....in fact, here is a photo from one of their first concerts....minus McCartney and Harrison. At this concert on the back of a truck (Woolton Church) they had to cut the concert short, jump off the truck and hide in the Church because they saw a group of Teddy Boys coming up the street looking for John.

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

Of course there have always have been and will be gangs of youths. crime as a whole is at really low levels compared to before tony bliar started which he doesnt really get enough credit for. but i think now the intimidation from these groups of lads and lasses, the shit they get up to and the lack of will to do anything about it is really worrying. I can't imagine what some parts of this country will be like in 10 years.

hiding in a countryside churchyard is fun and games compared to the daily news stories about school stabbings

I want out

john_n_carolina · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina

...yes, i agree.....but go back to the 50's in Liverpool and Manchester and it was just as bad. you couldn't go near the docks in Liverpool. these guys carried razors, metal toe boots, and brass knuckles.

in fact, the Beatles might have been changed forever as a direct result of these 'Teddy Boys'.

one night, John, George, Paul, and Stu were out on the town and were jumped by a gang. Stu got beaten so bad (because he was the smallest) he was lying unconcious in the alley. John was the only one that stuck around to carry him back. he had been kicked in the head many times and was bleeding.

4 or 5 years later in Hamburg he was dead. he died of severe brain hemorrage and had been suffering from ultra migraines ever since that attack.

here is a photo from the first tour in Hamburg (by Astrid Kirchner)

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

apparently there was even a bobby drinking tea near a red phone box

john_n_carolina · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina

.....Jake, with this usage of 'bobby' i assume you're referring to a local police officer that was just standing by when John & Stu were jumped?

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

I was just being sarcastic by saying that the beatles are not england. though theyre both similar in that theyre overrated
anyway, this is latin america forum

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:37 pm Post subject:

Jake, Jake, Jake...

Don't you know that we yanks don't understand sarcasm?

Best,

Yankee doodle...