riffraff
pronunciation
How to pronounce riffraff in British English:
UK ['rɪfræf]
How to pronounce riffraff in American English:
US [ˈrɪfˌræf]
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- Noun:
- disparaging terms for the common people
Word Origin
- riffraff (n.)
- also riff-raff, late 15c., from earlier rif and raf "one and all, everybody, every scrap," also "sweepings, refuse" (mid-14c.), from Old French rif et raf, from rifler "to spoil, strip" (see rifle (v.)). Second element from raffler "carry off," related to rafle "plundering," or from raffer "to snatch, to sweep together" (see raffle (n.)).
Example
- 1. Riffraff ! You stinky old goat !
- 2. Riffraff and heroes , the two confrontations with the darkness , lit bright at the same time the two police officers .
- 3. The right-wing of the kuomintang says , " the peasant movement is a movement of the riffraff , of the lazy peasants . "
- 4. Meeting will be the first woven dream academy players behind the scenes documentaries and exciting version of the hero snapshots riffraff , the students see their favorite idol , one after another screamed .
- 5. We must combat the counter-revolutionary talk of a " movement of riffraff " and a " movement of lazy peasants " and must be especially careful not to commit the error of helping the local tyrants and evil gentry in their attacks on the poor peasant class .