In the
United Kingdom, the word
spiv is slang for a type of petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically
black market, goods. The word was particularly used during the
Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were
rationed due to shortages. According to
Peter Wollen, "The crucial difference between the spiv and the classic Hollywood gangster was the degree of sympathy the spiv gained as an intermediary in the transfer of black market goods to ... a grateful mass of consumers."