[user104658]

Originally Posted by Josy

No not at all? You clearly don't know what the word chav stands for.....

"Chav" comes from "Charva", a Geordie word, shortened to "Charv", became "chav" as the colloquial use spread south, then stayed "chav" when it bounced back up across the country after hitting London.

It has nothing to do with Council Housing. In fact, in my experience, as I said above it usually describes the "skilled working class" who DO have money. Tradies, salon workers / owners, etc. . The class system, if it still really exists, is an odd thing. Most of the skilled working class make much more money than the lower-middle class (management roles, administrative roles, teaching, blue-collar type things). They're still more "common", use more colloquial language... are more... err... "Heleny".