spiv 的詞源

"小偷騙子，只要不涉及誠實的工作，他就會做任何事情"，1934年，英國俚語，可能可以追溯到19世紀末，與 spiff（參見 spiffy）在其各種意義中有關。穿着花哨是小偷的特徵。

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"]

小偷在第二次世界大戰和隨後的幾年中達到了巔峯，當時破壞性的經濟條件爲非官方貿易（這裏有一雙尼龍襪，那裏有幾包香菸）和其他小罪行提供了充足的空間。他成爲英國社交喜劇中的固定角色，在屏幕上由如《聖特里尼安學院》電影中的“Flash Harry”（由喬治·科爾飾演）和 Dad's Army 中的 Pte. Walker 等刻板印象所代表。[Ayto，“20世紀詞彙”]