A spiv is a man who makes his money from small, dishonest deals rather than from a real job — selling things that fell off the back of a lorry, black-market goods, cheap watches, tickets he should not have. The word is British and it is old-fashioned; it belongs above all to Britain in and just after the Second World War, when food and clothes were rationed and a spiv was the man who could get you nylon stockings or extra sugar, no questions asked. Part of the picture is how he looks: a spiv dresses too well for his income — a loud tie, a sharp suit, a thin moustache, shoes too shiny. So the word carries a mix of disapproval and a little amused affection. He is not a frightening criminal; he is a small, showy cheat. British newspapers still sometimes use it for a flashy businessman they want to insult, but younger British people may only half-know it, and outside Britain most people will not know it at all. It is a countable noun (a spiv, two spivs), and there is an adjective 'spivvy' meaning flashy in that dishonest way.

投機的小混混、賣黑市貨的痞子（穿得很招搖、靠小騙術過活的那種男人；台灣沒有完全對應的詞，接近「二手貨販子」加「油頭滑腦」的混合）