Have any Americans heard of this British slang term? (live in, gangs)

[Mathguy]

Seems to me that "douchebags" would be better comparisons to "chavs" than redneck.

D-bags are guys that look and act like the jersey shore cast. Stupid, designer stuff with bling....yep, that's them.
If chavs are into spray-on-tans, hair gel and steroids then we have an exact fit.

Chav - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[paull805]

Not all "chavs" are the stereotype, just because you wear burbery and ride a moped, doesn't make you scum of the earth.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Seems to me that "douchebags" would be better comparisons to "chavs" than redneck.

D-bags are guys that look and act like the jersey shore cast. Stupid, designer stuff with bling....yep, that's them.
If chavs are into spray-on-tans, hair gel and steroids then we have an exact fit.

Chav - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've never seen Jersey Shore but that sounds like it to me. (like the description of a chav).

What about gangsta? They are tough and wear gold chains and they buy certain designer logo clothing that no one else would ever wear--things with HUGE logos. They pay huge amounts of money for their clothing. Someone from New Jersey was talking about them. Probably they don't work, they steal instead--or deal drugs.

[Cruithne]

Originally Posted by paull805

Not all "chavs" are the stereotype, just because you wear burbery and ride a moped, doesn't make you scum of the earth.

Agreed.

Also on the flipside, you can be wealthy and still be a chav. Kerry Katona, Jodie Marsh and Katie Price come to mind.
Its very difficult to define. Maybe its more about a state of mind.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I've never seen Jersey Shore but that sounds like it to me. (like the description of a chav).

What about gangsta? They are tough and wear gold chains and they buy certain designer logo clothing that no one else would ever wear--things with HUGE logos. They pay huge amounts of money for their clothing. Someone from New Jersey was talking about them. Probably they don't work, they steal instead--or deal drugs.

Wankster might be closer meaning wannabe gangsta, white guy dressed all hip hop and trying to be hard core.

The Offspring song "Pretty fly for a white guy" was aimed at wanksters and is pretty dang funny.

[dragonborn]

The closest things to chavs in the US are the townies in Massachusetts. They're basically the same; tracksuits, baseball caps, they act rowdy / ghetto. There used to be a ton of them who would congregate outside the convenience store of the town I lived in in MA. It reminded me of home in a way. I don't know if there's an American term for them - I wouldn't say they're "white trash". They're a breed unto themselves.

[irish_bob]

Originally Posted by dizzybint

In Scotland its Neds.. By 2006 the term chav from the South of England[19] was used across the United Kingdom, with ned often seen as the synonymous Scottish term. Other local terms are "schemies" in Edinburgh and "scallies" in Liverpool

known as skangers in ireland

[dragonborn]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I've never seen Jersey Shore but that sounds like it to me. (like the description of a chav).

What about gangsta? They are tough and wear gold chains and they buy certain designer logo clothing that no one else would ever wear--things with HUGE logos. They pay huge amounts of money for their clothing. Someone from New Jersey was talking about them. Probably they don't work, they steal instead--or deal drugs.

Ah, maybe you can throw some light on the chav-like creatures I encountered in MA! They weren't quite as degenerate as the chavs in Britain, but they were very similar; it was almost uncanny how similar they were. Fall River would rival any chav town in the UK for the sheer number of knuckle-dragging types.

[PhenomenalAJ]

I'm probably one of the only Americans who knows what a chav is and I'm still not clear on exactly what it is, it's like a guido? I've seen the British show Geordie Shore (British remake of Jersey Shore) and they look and act like the Jersey Shore people but they live in Newcastle! I think 95% of Americans have never even heard the word chav and would give you a blank stare.

[KathrynAragon]

I've heard the word before, and in my mind associated it with a Jersey Shore type. As far as I can tell, this is a pretty close fit. But we don't have a single word for that look. Some that come to mind are just adjectives - ignorant, low class, pretentious, common, that sort of thing.