Abusive 'chav' seen as British buzzword of 2004

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041018/323/f4s3a.html




LONDON (AFP) - The word "chav", a newly-popularised term of abuse applied to loutish types fond of tracksuits and cheap gold jewellery, is Britain's defining word or phrase of 2004, a new book announced.

"Chav" is to this year what "axis of evil" was to 2002, "gangsta" to 1988 and "beatnik" to 1958, according to author Susie Dent, whose "The Language Report" gives what she defines as the key terms for every year dating back to 1904.

"Chav" -- a long-established but little used insult thought to have come from a mid-19th century Romany word "Chavi", meaning child -- has caught on recently as a label for Britain's underclass of violence-prone, culture-devoid youth.

Its use has been condemned as hugely snobbish but Dent said this was not really the point.

"I think it's a really horrible word but it's quite a good example of a word that has burst out on to the scene," she told the media.

"It is quite surprising in a way. It is one of quite a few social class labels that have emerged."

The book also tips a series of words likely to become popular in the coming year, such as "retrosexual", a scruffy backlash against the well-groomed "metrosexual" man.

The book names the buzzwords of the past 20 years as being:

1984 double-click

1985 OK yah

1986 mobile

1987 virtual reality

1988 gangsta

1989 latte

1990 applet

1991 hot-desking

1992 URL

1993 having it large

1994 Botox

1995 kitten heels

1996 ghetto fabulous

1997 dot-commer

1998 text message

1999 google

2000 bling bling

2001 9/11

2002 axis of evil

2003 sex up

2004 chav