spiv

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪv

Etymology

Perhaps from spiff, spiffy. 'Spiv' was the nickname of Henry Bagster, a Londoner arrested a number of times in 1904-6 for activities as described below, and may have been the archetype.

Noun

spiv (plural spivs)

1. (UK, dated) a smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods
2. (UK, dated) a flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits
3. (UK, dated) in Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief
4. (UK, dated) a slacker; one who shirks responsibility

Synonyms

• sharper
• chiseler
• wide boy

Quotations

"I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more harm to the British economy than [transport union leader] Bob Crow could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer." -- Vince Cable on the banking system.

External links

• "spiv" at World Wide Words Michael Quinion, 2001