spiv

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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.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spiv

(spɪv)

slang Brit a person who makes a living by underhand dealings or swindling; black marketeer

[C20: back formation from dialect spiving smart; compare spiffy, spiffing]

ˈspivvy adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spiv

(spɪv)

n.

Brit. Informal. a petty criminal, esp. a black marketeer, racetrack tout, or petty thief.

[1885–90; back formation from dial. spiving smart; perhaps akin to spiffy]

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Noun

spiv - a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time

Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom

do-nothing, idler, layabout, loafer, bum - person who does no work; "a lazy bum"

Translations

spiv

[spɪv] N (Brit) → chanchullero m, caballero m de industria; (= slacker) → gandul m; (= black marketeer) → estraperlista mf

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spiv

[ˈspɪv] n (British) → fricoteur m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spiv

n (Brit inf) → schmieriger Typ (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spiv

[spɪv] n (Brit) (fam) → imbroglione m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in periodicals archive ?

The Tories promised tough price regulation when they sold off our gas, water and electricity to spivs and foreigners.

LET'S SUMMON ENERGY HOME

This company and the spivs who ran them allowed these small businesses to go to the wall by the actions of certain people.

Bank of failure; Letters.

Without Clem Attlee and his socialists, Margaret Thatcher and all the spivs who followed her would have had nothing to sell.

Socialism does give opportunity to all

The Transport Secretary should resign, along with Dodgy Dave and his Eton spivs.

Powerhouse push is hollow; Letters

I DISAGREE with AJ Hubble who criticised your earlier correspondent for claiming that the changes in the law which enable those over 55 to cash in their pension pots results in a spivs' charter.

Scammers prey on vulnerable

Obviously recession is proving to be a nice little earner for the uppercrust and the banking spivs. Talking of banking spivs, I wonder if they created this recession on purpose.

Recession claims a rich man's ploy

Enraged, 53-year-old Mr Herman invoiced these spivs PS10 for every minute he wasted answering their nuisance calls.

A nuisance to cold callers

Margaret Thatcher's decision to abandon manufacturing and rely on the financial markets was indeed a hugely negative action and has had widespread disastrous effect for most people, but not for those Mr Nicholls describes as 'spivs in the city of London' who gained enormous wealth.

Another kind of debt; Mailbag letters also appear online at www.examiner.co.uk/views-and-blogs/reader-letters Mailbag

SKITTLES WHITCHURCH & DISTRICT SKITTLES DIVISION Premier League Greenfly Gringos 277, Pontyclun Rugby Club 273; Caerphilly Social Bees 292, Wolfs Castle Rogues 270; Ruperra Rovers 257, Rebels 283; Buffaloes 300, Black Knights 280; Jet Set 268, Llanharan Rugby Club 277; Spivs 326, Windsor B 298.

Fergie up for City challenge

Summary: Business Secretary Vince Cable has launched a searing attack on the City "spivs and gamblers" who crippled the British economy.

Cable attacks city 'spivs'

Again, as with the present deficit, it's those at the bottom having to pay (by way of cuts to their living standards) for the mistakes of those at the top (the spivs, speculators and bankers) as we can now see with the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, both locally and nationally.

Not enough; emails & letters

He looks at the historic background, the introduction of the 'juke box', the importance of music, teenage life, the cultural war between 'spivs' and 'teds' (so bewildering to older people), women's dress styles in this period, and the development of meeting places devoted to the young, e.g.