Britain
The XYZ section of the Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1921, does not include the word, but a later supplement notes the use of 'yob' as meaning 'boy' in the working-class youth context, from 1859. In the dictionary supplement's references, it is possible to detect a slow drift in the word's meaning, towards the 'ruffian' interpretation, the new emphasis becoming clear from about 1927.
'Yobbo' appears from 1922 onwards; originally its meaning did not clearly emphasise the ruffian. Its meaning drifted clearly towards the 'ruffian' interpretation by 1956, though an article from 1938 calls a yobbo a 'street rough'.
In Britain today this word is sometimes superseded by the newer term "chav".
It is not unknown for a girl or woman to be described as a yob by the British media.
Read more about this topic: Yobbo
Famous quotes containing the word britain:
“The proposition that Muslims are welcome in Britain if, and only if, they stop behaving like Muslims is a doctrine which is incompatible with the principles that guide a free society.”
—Roy Hattersley (b. 1932)
“It is crystal clear to me that if Arabs put down a draft resolution blaming Israel for the recent earthquake in Iran it would probably have a majority, the U.S. would veto it and Britain and France would abstain.”
—Amos Oz (b. 1939)
“The only reason I might go to the funeral is to make absolutely sure that he’s dead.”
—“An Eminent Editor” Of Press Baron. Quoted in Anthony Sampson, Anatomy of Britain Today, ch. 9 (1965)