Word play

December 16, 2004 3:57 AM

Collins Word Exchange "At Collins we pride ourselves on reflecting current language, used by real English speakers across the world." Collins have launched a public forum designed for (amongst other things) discussing 'new' words and the legitamacy of their inclusion in official dictionaries. Chav is probably on its way, but I'm no intellectual snob, but bounce-backability? Even I'd balk at that one.
And, just remember kids, flip-flopper is not valid for use in scrabble
posted by qwerty155 (8 comments total)

What does "chav" mean?
posted by signal at 4:57 AM on December 16, 2004

Oh, it's a british class-thing. I get it.
posted by signal at 5:02 AM on December 16, 2004

Thanks for this post -- I hadn't seen the site.
posted by languagehat at 5:08 AM on December 16, 2004

languagehat (and others) there's an article in the latest Prospect that you might find interesting (or not). It concerns people's attitudes to 'defending' English and how their attachment to it wraps up with identity, etc.
posted by biffa at 5:13 AM on December 16, 2004

[Disclaimer] I used to run the computing department at Collins Dictionaries. There are tales that probably shouldn't be told.

Viz Comic (mentioned yesterday) was a favourite of the lexicographers there.
posted by scruss at 6:22 AM on December 16, 2004

signal, not sure if this maybe helpful. Assuming you're interested ;-)

It stikes me that 'chav' is one of those phrases that has been in use for years throughout the UK except, it appears, in media circles. They seem to have caught up and feel the need to tell us what we've known for years.
posted by qwerty155 at 6:41 AM on December 16, 2004

Also interesting is the Chamber's Wordwatch.
posted by transient at 7:12 AM on December 16, 2004

qwerty155: I'd disagree, chav has been around for a while in the UK, but as a regional term - notably in the South East. It's only in the last year or so that it has expended to become nationally applicable. Before that there were regional variations, for example, the scally, the townie, etc. This is even recognised by the Chavscum site (IIRC).
posted by biffa at 7:30 AM on December 16, 2004