Definition of a Spiv.

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

When I picture a Spiv in my mind I see Private Walker from Dad's Army who made a dishonest "bob or two".

My wife's Aunty, amongst other things, was a money holder for a Spiv during the war. Their patch was the Moor. In her old age she's not short of a "bob or two". And I often wonder, were these people "Private Walker" types or did they make serious money.

This is an interesting look at the origin of the word :

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-spi3.htm

I would have thought that those with contcats could make reasonable cash; they dealt in the black market and as folks with money could improve their rations by buying on the black market, anyone with an 'in' to that world would be able to cream off a profit, I would have thought.

But I've done a Google and couldn't find much - we need a student with no idea of what thesis to do... :)

Joe