違います is the polite “that’s not right”. Casual speech drops to 違う, and rough speech squashes it to ちげえ (casual speech treats 違う like the adjective 違い, and -gai turns into -gee as in うるさい → うるせえ).
違う is plain and common. ちげえよ is rough: friends only.
Two guys are workshopping a catchphrase, and one pitches a line about 'UFO-catching' everyone's hearts.
Culture note In Japan, claw crane arcade games are called 'UFO catchers.'
I said I'm not!
Textbookですから、違いますよ。Polite 「違います」 drops to plain 「違う」; the added 「って」 means 'I'm telling you,' turning it into an exasperated denial.
One performer bluntly tells the other that their problems are their own fault and that they need to open up.
Culture note In Japanese, 'closing the shutter of your heart' is a common way to say someone shuts other people out.
It's not?
Textbook違うんですか。The polite question 「違うんですか」 becomes the casual 「違うの」: 「んですか」 contracts to 「の」 and the rising intonation carries the question (plain 違う is the casual form of 違います).
A performer politely tells the audience a strange story about an electric kettle that seemed to be staring at them.
and I ended up making excuses like, 'This isn't my fault. No, you've got it wrong!'
Textbook「これは私のせいではありません。いいえ、違います」と言い訳をしてしまったのです。Polite '違います' drops to plain '違う', then takes 'んだよ' to insist: '違うんだよ', 'it's not what you think!'
Someone giving directions keeps saying 'right,' but the other person just keeps repeating 'right?' back.
No, no, no!
Textbookいいえ、違います。Plain '違う' drops the polite '-ます' of '違います'; repeating it three times makes an urgent, emphatic 'No, no, no!'
A band member wants to tell a man named Shimoike about a new song, but keeps mixing up Shimoike's name.
No, that's not right.
Textbookいいえ、違います。Plain 「違う」 drops the polite 「ます」 of 「違います」, and casual 「いや」 replaces 「いいえ」 as 'no.'
One performer says a spot feels warm and that it's a first for them; the other asks what that means.
No, that's not it.
Textbook違います。Plain 「違う」 drops polite 「ます」; said alone, it means 'No, that's not it.'
From other routines in the library. Automatic transcripts, not yet checked line by line.
違う／ちげえ means “no, that’s wrong”. 違います is the polite “that’s not right”. Casual speech drops to 違う, and rough speech squashes it to ちげえ (casual speech treats 違う like the adjective 違い, and -gai turns into -gee as in うるさい → うるせえ).
With friends: OK. With coworkers: careful. With a boss or teacher: avoid. 違う is plain and common. ちげえよ is rough: friends only.
In 1,905 live comedy routines, 違う／ちげえ appears in 1,108 lines from 194 comedians.