Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

It is the local chavs and neds that frighten me ! And the chavettes and nedettes.

Translation, please? My Scottish friends aren't here handy...

[Isla Guapa]

I was about the ask the same question . . .

[johnslat]

Praise be to Google:

"Chav stands for "Council House And Violence. You can usually spot a chav, walking round in a cheap traksuit swearing and making the streets an unplesant and unsafe place. They usually come in groups, like an infestation of cockroaches. They're usually mouthy and loud, always causing trouble and looking for a fight for some reason to prove themselves - which is extremely stupid.

Then there are Chavettes (Female Chavs,) who are pretty much are the same as chavs."

"Ned is a term applied to certain people in Scotland, akin to the term chav or chaver in England. The stereotypical view of a ned is a white adolescent male (although this term does not exclude females, the female equivalent is generally referred to as a Senga, Nedette or Audrey) of working class background, who wear brand names (particularly Henri Lloyd, Lacoste, Adidas tracksuits etc.), gold jewellery (females often wear their name in large gold lettering), and engage in hooliganism, petty criminality, loutish behaviour, fighting, underage drinking and smoking or general anti-social behaviour."

Synonyms
chav (England)
charva (Northeast England)
Scally (Northern England)
Senga (Scotland)
yob, yobbo (England, Australia)
spide (Northern Ireland)

Regards,
John

[spiral78]

This sounds like a really dangerous country to be in, to be sure!

[johnslat]

Dear spiral,

Whatever they're called, they can be probably be found in almost any medium to large-sized city in the world (and likely in small towns, too.)

And they're not a new phenomenon - back in the 50s, they were called juvenile delinquents - with leather jackets, and "DA" haircuts.

They're gangs - comprised of the scared, the lonely, the sadistic, and the
bullies, all of whom find in such dubious company a sense of identity and of belonging.

Very sad - and scary.

Regards,
John

[Sigma]

[Perilla]

[Isla Guapa]

No doubt the threat of violence would be zero in a totalitarian police state, unless you somehow ran afoul of the police!

[kotoko]

You have no need to worry; I used to be a timid and naive girl from Cambridge ... then had a big shock when I went to university in Liverpool. 4 years living there and I can handle most chav-based (they call them scallies there) problems!