From the Oxford English Dictionary:
Chav: Pronunciation: Brit. /tʃav/ , U.S. /tʃæv/
Etymology: Probably either < Romani čhavo unmarried Romani male, male Romani child (see ... (Show More)
Brit. slang (derogatory)
In the United Kingdom (originally the south of England): a young person of a type characterized by brash and loutish behaviour and the wearing of designer-style clothes (esp. sportswear); usually with connotations of a low social status.
1. Your brougham is up on bricks and it sports a pair of fluffy dice. After all, you are good at dice.
2. Your chesterfield is on the front lawn surrounded by garden gnomes and bottles of home made cider (yes yes, I know gnomes weren't invented until 1840, sue me.)
3. Your breeches are Burberry
4. Your Hessian boots have wheels in the bottom
5. Goldie Lookin' Chain. You have a passion for gold chains. Although this isn't necessary a pointer, as Regency Bling was pretty commonplace. Men would wear one or often many, watch fobs and chains around the waist
6. You find yourself waving your hand and saying "It is because I'z a Earl, innit?" when a young lady refuses you.
7. You drive around in your barouche with musicians perching on the back, but only the double bass players for maximum vibration.
8. A storm blows through your neighbourhood, doing £30,000 of improvement to your mansion
9. You have your title tattoed on your arm.
10. And "Mama" on the other arm.
11. You wear your top hat sideways .
12. You post your letters on a pay as you go basis on vodapost
13. You and your fellow aristos hang around the Isis, binge drinking
14. You have go-faster stripes and a spoiler on the barouche
15. You get an ASBO for asking a lady to dance more than twice.
Can you think of any more? I'd love to hear your ideas! Thanks for reading. Many thanks to Chris Smith for the Brougham manip.
Erastes
www.erastes.com
Erastes writes gay historicals, and her first book for Carina is "The Muffled Drum" (set during the Austro Prussian War) and will be out in July 2011. It's full of soldiers, horses, angsty love, drawers and many many buttons.
