WAGs, chavs and the Home Counties

Every culture has its own lexicon, capturing the character of its people and their communities. Like any newcomer, Garry and I have struggled to learn the lingo. Names and places still confound me in conversation. People talk to me about the home countries, Essex or Sussex and I struggle to picture their location in my mind. The names of celebrities and old television programs are a particularly common source of blank stares from both of us. Equally we hear terms in every day conversation that mean absolutely nothing.

ASBO was one such phrase that confounded me for months until I finally googled it in desperation. Two other phrases also took some time to comprehend. The first was WAGs and the second, chavs.

WAGs is a term that came into common use last Summer. For once, Garry and I were at the forefront of modern language. The term was created by the nation’s tabloids to describe the Wives And Girlfriends of the English national football team. These significant others went on tour with the team during last year's World Cup. They became notorious for spending their days shopping, partying and lounging by the pool with a cocktail in hand. Today the term references any glamorous female partner living the high life by socialising and shopping. It also tends to have a rather vacuous, ‘bimbo’ connotion.

Chav is a far less complimentary term. It’s the British equivalent of “white trash” or “trailer trash”. Kath and Kim would probably drift perilously close to the category of chav from time to time. In the UK, a stereotypical chav is most likely a working class person who enjoys wearing a tracksuit, hooded sweatshirt, or a baseball cap to the mall. They’re also likely to be a fan of chunky, imitation gold jewelry and hip-hop music.

As for the home counties? These are the counties that border the city of London. Essex is one, sitting directly north-east of London; while Sussex sits due south along the Channel coastline. Between Sussex and the city lies another county called Surry. The term home county draws its origins from 900 year old tradition. Judges from the King’s court use to travel through London’s neighbouring area dispensing justice on behalf of the monarchy. This roving team ensures that disputes and cases were heard more frequently, as well as eliminating the need to travel to London to have such matters resolved.