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If you want an insulting term that is more apt for Irish Travellers as opposed to Roma, the traditional slur was "Pikey", although as with all slurs the meaning is vague and liable to expand over time.* The Snatch (by the same team as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a most excellent British gangster movie in which one of the many factions robbing each other is a pikey gang, and is referred to as such by all the other characters (except for the visiting American, who has no idea what he is dealing with).
Romanichal is the traditional term for the long-established British Roma community (as opposed to recent eastern European arrivals).
The British version of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding is almost entirely about pikeys because they couldn't get any Romani gypsies to cooperate with the filmmakers.
* Apparently British Roma use "pikey" as a slur for non-Roma who lead a travelling lifestyle, including Irish travellers, travelling showmen, and New Age travellers. Wikipedia says that it has become a catch-all term for the feral poor similar to "chav", but I have not heard that usage.
I learned the word chav about 20 years ago. At the place I was working at the time there was a considerable culture of non-Japanese, mostly American/Australian/British. A gay American man, an Aussie woman and an American woman joined brains and came up with the idea to celebrate American Thanksgiving but in what they called collectively "chavvy" style. This meant those of us invited were to wear sweatpants and sportswear (I wasn't entirely sure of this) but also bring what was termed chavvy food. I mention the man was gay only to suggest the idea had its roots in women and gayness. Anyway chavvy food, that's what we were told to bring for the potluck.
This ended up meaning the food I had eaten all my life unironically for Thanksgiving, namely green bean casserole and cornbread dressing (both of which I made myself and brought.) I don't remember much about this festive afternoon/evening except that I got drunk, and that what I made, anyway, was good. I think I also ended up making the gravy. This was one of many experiences I've had with people from outside my world, whereby I realized Southern (white) culture down to the food was viewed as lowbrow. Later reading Nancy Isenberg I would realize such views could even be codified.
Looking back I'm sometimes baffled why I hung out with the people I hung out with, but sometimes living abroad you end up with odd acquaintances. Not trying to derail the thread, I am enjoying reading the discussion.
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I have to say something because @orthoxerox made the same mistake but with the excuse of being a native speaker of a language without articles. The movie is called Snatch.
You are indeed correct. I would point out that what you call the film doesn't matter that much - what's important is that you watch it. It's a very good film.
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I remember hearing that use in the '90s and '00s, but it would seem a little odd to say today. Not exactly because it's un-PC, it's just fallen out of use.
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