A shiv, also chiv, schiv, shivvie, or shank,[1][2] is a handcrafted bladed-weapon resembling a knife that is commonly associated with prison inmates.
Shivs hidden in a book, Hong Kong
Since weapons are highly prohibited in the prison environment, the intended mode of concealment is central to a shiv's construction. An especially thin handle, for instance, makes it easier to conceal in available cracks or crevices in the prison's construction, or in stacks of objects, such as books, permitted to the prisoners; however, this can also render the shiv difficult to grip and wield. Routine body searches in prison make it difficult to conceal a shiv on one's person on a continuous basis. As well as the prison authorities, it is also desirable to conceal possession of a shiv from members of rival prison populations.
The word is recorded from the 1670s in the spelling chive as cant for knife, whose pronunciation is reflected in the spelling shiv recorded in underworld slang from 1915 and possibly used since the 1890s or earlier. The cant word probably came from the Romani word chiv for "blade" (compare Romani chivomengro "knifeman").[3][4] The derived verb shiv means "to stab someone", and a shivver is an archaic term for a criminal who attacks victims with a knife.[5]
Usageedit
Shivs and other prohibited items confiscated from a prison yard
The word is prison slang for an improvised knife. The word generally applies to both stabbing and edged weapons. A shiv can be anything from a glass shard with fabric wrapped around one end to form a handle, to a razor blade stuck in the end of a toothbrush, to a simple toothbrush handle, filed to a sharp point.
In the 1950s, British criminal Billy Hill described his use of the shiv:
I was always careful to draw my knife down on the face, never across or upwards. Always down. So that if the knife slips you don't cut an artery. After all, chivving is chivving, but cutting an artery is usually murder. Only mugs do murder.[6]
In the Federal Bureau of Prisons, weapons, sharpened instruments, and knives are considered contraband and their possession is punishable as a highest severity-level prohibited act.[7]
Referencesedit
Look up shiv or shank in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
^Tom Dalzell (2009), "shiv; chiv; shivvie", The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, p. 869
^Campbell, Duncan (29 July 2008). "Billy Hill biography remembers one of Britain's best known gangsters" – via www.theguardian.com.
^"Inmate discipline program" (PDF). www.bop.gov. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
April 09, 2024
shiv, weapon, shiv, also, chiv, schiv, shivvie, shank, handcrafted, bladed, weapon, resembling, knife, that, commonly, associated, with, prison, inmates, shivs, hidden, book, hong, kongsince, weapons, highly, prohibited, prison, environment, intended, mode, co. A shiv also chiv schiv shivvie or shank 1 2 is a handcrafted bladed weapon resembling a knife that is commonly associated with prison inmates Shivs hidden in a book Hong KongSince weapons are highly prohibited in the prison environment the intended mode of concealment is central to a shiv s construction An especially thin handle for instance makes it easier to conceal in available cracks or crevices in the prison s construction or in stacks of objects such as books permitted to the prisoners however this can also render the shiv difficult to grip and wield Routine body searches in prison make it difficult to conceal a shiv on one s person on a continuous basis As well as the prison authorities it is also desirable to conceal possession of a shiv from members of rival prison populations The word is recorded from the 1670s in the spelling chive as cant for knife whose pronunciation is reflected in the spelling shiv recorded in underworld slang from 1915 and possibly used since the 1890s or earlier The cant word probably came from the Romani word chiv for blade compare Romani chivomengro knifeman 3 4 The derived verb shiv means to stab someone and a shivver is an archaic term for a criminal who attacks victims with a knife 5 Usage edit nbsp Shivs and other prohibited items confiscated from a prison yardThe word is prison slang for an improvised knife The word generally applies to both stabbing and edged weapons A shiv can be anything from a glass shard with fabric wrapped around one end to form a handle to a razor blade stuck in the end of a toothbrush to a simple toothbrush handle filed to a sharp point In the 1950s British criminal Billy Hill described his use of the shiv I was always careful to draw my knife down on the face never across or upwards Always down So that if the knife slips you don t cut an artery After all chivving is chivving but cutting an artery is usually murder Only mugs do murder 6 In the Federal Bureau of Prisons weapons sharpened instruments and knives are considered contraband and their possession is punishable as a highest severity level prohibited act 7 References edit nbsp Look up shiv or shank in Wiktionary the free dictionary shank The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 5th ed HarperCollins shank Merriam Webster com Dictionary Retrieved 20 February 2023 shiv The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 5th ed HarperCollins Harper Douglas shiv Online Etymology Dictionary Retrieved 20 February 2023 Tom Dalzell 2009 shiv chiv shivvie The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English p 869 Campbell Duncan 29 July 2008 Billy Hill biography remembers one of Britain s best known gangsters via www theguardian com Inmate discipline program PDF www bop gov Retrieved 9 June 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shiv weapon amp oldid 1214699884, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
