Term spied?

Question

Just out of interest i'm from northern ireland, i know 'milly' comes from women working in the mills, but where does the term 'spied' (tracksuits the cap, gold jewllery etc) come from? think i spelt 'spied' right, not sure.

Answer 1

Spied meant when someone spies on you, like James Bond.  Perhaps it's spelt differently, or a regional saying?  Just from the description you gave, I would describe that sort of person as a 'scally' or a 'chav', is that the same sort of thing?