If you decide to pimp your vehicle (as they say in the US) with eg furry seats, curtains, fairy lights like a Cairo taxi, you are spivving it up.
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Originally spiv was UK WWII slang for a petty criminal who could illegally obtain for you anything that was limited by rationing from nylons to a piece of steak. They were a common character in post-War movies and UK rationing of everything from clothes to furniture continued for ten years after the War ended.
Thirty years ago, to celebrate my fortieth birthday (that’s a giveaway!) I opened the last of a case of 1943 vintage champagne that my grandparents must have bought from a spiv - over the decades in the bottle there’d been an amazing transformation into a honeyed liquer, with occasional bubbles drifting up through the flute and with its chardonnay cepage still readily identifiable, in fact its characteristics were probably amplified. Still have the empty!
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Once a month OH pimps her pedigree miniature poodle (though that’s not how she refers to its seriously expensive toilettage) and equally unsurprisingly her salon de chiens isn’t called ‘Pimp ma caniche’.
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This is a well known spiv, Pinkie in The film Brighton Rock
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The first 30 seconds, in other words a bit of a geezer, wheeler dealer, someone on the make etc.
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I think Pinkie is just a bastard Jane. Green’s book was pre spiv era. That clip, as ever, made my skin creep. Brilliant performance by Attenborough 
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Terry Thomas for me. He was always cast as the archetypal spiv. IIRC St Trinians?
Too nice maybe? More a cad I would have thought or maybe a bounder? There was one movie I remember I think he played a spiv… I’ll try and fine it. School for Gentlemen or something?
1948….post-war and early spiv period. But most spivs are bastards, just wrapped up in a slightly cheeky chappie persona that loves his granny. The Terry Thomas type is a comedic spin-off for film/tv surely. Real spivs are slimy, oily bastards.
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So funny
Pssst. Ear, anyone wana genuwin Swiss built made in China kettle and hob for a monkey, lest say 5 for a grand, theyre all straight up I got some littluns for the missus at a pony
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Yes, the movie but not the book. Interestingly Green scripted the film adaption of his book. Good review attached.
George Cole played the spiv character in St. Trinians.
By attaching a clip of it I sort of assumed that I was referring to the film not the book!
Sorry Jane, I thought you were putting Pinkie forward as as an example of a spiv.
Never seen the film, but read the book. Pinkie is a psychopath isn’t he - for me spivs are a bit more lightweight, not the full Kray.
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I would not describe Pinkie as a spiv. Spivs are generally people who conducted theft against commerce (typically underhand/black market) rather than violence against people.
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Ok, I’ll settle for psychopathic spiv. He still displays many spiv characteristics, and not all spivs are harmless fraudsters.
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Let’s see: I’ve had a 1792 Sercial Madeira and an 1864. A pre WW2 Champagne and a 1959. I think you’ve got me beat.
I love older wines, but there’s always a risk in buying them.