‘chav’ makes it into the dictionary!

‘The latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary has been published, including 1,500 new words reflecting recent changes in language and culture.

Among the new words is “chav” – defined as “a young working class person who dresses in casual sports clothing”. Also included are “Asbo”, the acronym of Anti-Social Behaviour Order, and “retrosexual”, a heterosexual man who spends little time on his appearance. The dictionary’s editor-in-chief said it reflected a “vibrant” society. Elaborating on the theme, the tome also includes “chavette” – a female chav – and the adjectives “chavish” and “chavtastic” – designed for or suitable for chavs.

Football-inspired entries include “bouncebackability” – or the “ability to recover after a setback, particularly in sport”, which the dictionary says is regarded as having first been coined by Crystal Palace manager Ian Dowie.

Other new words are “adultescent” – an adult still actively interested in youth culture, “brand Nazi” – a person who insists on buying one particular brand of clothing or other commodity, and “exhibition killing” – the murder of a hostage by terrorists, filmed for broadcast on television or the internet.

Dictionary editor-in-chief Jeremy Butterfield said: “People have taken possession of language and are ever more inventive about the way they use it.

“The new words in this edition do not only reflect change in our culture, but a change in the way we use our language.

“They portray a vibrant, multicultural society finding new ways to express itself and describe the world around it.”‘