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spiv

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spiv

  [spiv]
Use spiv in a Sentence
–noun British Informal.
a petty criminal, esp. a black marketeer, racetrack tout, or petty thief.
Origin:
1885–90; back formation from dial. spiving smart; perh. akin to spiffy
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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spiv   (spĭv)   
n.   Chiefly British Slang

  1. One, usually unemployed, who lives by one's wits.

  2. One who shirks work or responsibility; a slacker.


[Dialectal spif, dandified, dandy.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

spiv 
"petty crook who will turn his hand to anything so long as it does not involve honest work," 1934, British slang, probably dating back to late 19c. and connected with spiff (see spiffy) in one of its various senses. Being a flashy dresser was a spiv characteristic.
"The spiv reached his apotheosis during World War II and the succeeding years, when the disrupted economic conditions allowed ample scope for unofficial trading (a pair of nylons here, a few packets of cigarettes there) and other petty crime. He became a stock figure in the English social comedy, represented on screen by such stereotypes as 'Flash Harry' (played by George Cole) in the St. Trinian's films and Pte. Walker in Dad's Army. [Ayto, "20th Century Words"]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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