different between sharper vs spiv

English

Etymology

sharp +? -er

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /????p?/

Adjective

sharper

1. comparative form of sharp: more sharp

Noun

sharper (plural sharpers)

1. (dated) a swindler; a cheat; a professional gambler who makes his living by cheating.
   • 1766, Tobias Smollett, Travels through France and Italy, Letter XXIX, [1]

     Our young gentlemen who go to Rome will do well to be upon their guard against a set of sharpers, (some of them of our own country,) who deal in pictures and antiques, and very often impose upon the uninformed stranger, by selling him trash, as the productions of the most celebrated artists.

   • 1878, John Payne, Introduction, in François Villon, Poems, translated by John Payne, New York: Boni & Liveright, c. 1918, p. 33 [2]

     […] in a twinkling the accomplished sharper changes the pitchers and pretending to examine the contents, asks the tapster what kind of wine he has given him […]

   • 1882, W. S. Gilbert, "Emily, John, James, and I: A Derby Legend" in The "Bab" Ballads, Philadelphia: David McKay, publishing date not given, p. 275, [3]

     The Derby Day sun glittered gaily on cads, / On maidens with gamboge hair, / On sharpers and pickpockets, swindlers and pads— / (For I, with my harp, was there).

Synonyms

• chiseler, spiv
• See also Thesaurus:fraudster

Translations

Anagrams

• harpers, phraser

English

Etymology

Unknown

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. Also possibly from Romani spiv, a sparrow as active and opportunistic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sp?v/
• Rhymes: -?v

Noun

spiv (plural spivs)

1. (Britain) A smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods.
2. (Britain, dated) A flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits.

   Synonyms: sharper, chiseler, wide boy; see also Thesaurus:fraudster, Thesaurus:confidence trickster

3. (Britain, dated) In Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief.
4. (Britain, dated) A slacker; one who shirks responsibility.

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.

Derived terms

• spivery
• spivish
• spivvy

References

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• PIVs, V.I.P.s, VIPs