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Sharper vs Spiv - What's the difference?

sharper | spiv | Synonyms |

Spiv is a synonym of sharper.

Sharper is a synonym of spiv.


As nouns the difference between sharper and spiv

is that sharper is (dated) a swindler; a cheat; a professional gambler who makes his living by cheating while spiv is (british|dated) a smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods.

As a adjective sharper

is (sharp).

sharper

English

Adjective

(head)
  • (sharp)

    • Noun

    (wikipedia sharper) (en noun)
  • (dated) a swindler; a cheat; a professional gambler who makes his living by cheating.

    • Synonyms

    * chiseler * spiv

    Anagrams

    *

    spiv

    English

    (wikipedia spiv)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, dated) A smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods.
  • (British, dated) A flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits.
  • (British, dated) In Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief.
  • (British, dated) A slacker; one who shirks responsibility.

    • Synonyms

    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Derived terms

    * (l), (l)

    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." -- on the banking system." Cable in attack on bonuses for City 'spivs'", Gavin Stamp, BBC News, 2010-09-22

    External links

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

    References