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Origin and history of riff

riff(n.)

"a repeated melodic phrase in jazz," 1935 (but said to have been used by musicians since c. 1917), of uncertain origin, perhaps a shortened form of riffle, or altered from refrain. The verb is attested by 1942, from the noun. Also in transferred or extended use (by 1970). Related: Riffed; riffing.

also from 1935

Entries linking to riff

riffle(v.)

1754, "to make choppy water," American English, perhaps a variant of ruffle "make rough." The word meaning "shuffle" (cards) is recorded by 1894, perhaps echoic; hence "skim, leaf through quickly" (of papers, etc.), by 1922. The noun meaning "rapid formed by a rocky obstruction in the bed of a river" is by 1785. Related: Riffled; riffling.

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    Trends of riff

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    flip
    1590s "to fillip, to toss with the thumb," imitative, or perhaps a thinned form of flap, or else a contraction of fillip (q.v.), which also is held to be imitative. Meaning "toss as though with the thumb" is from 1610s. Meaning "to flip a coin" (to decide something) is by 1879. S
    thumb
    Old English þuma, from Proto-Germanic *thūman- (source also of Old Frisian thuma, Old Saxon, Old High German thumo, German Daumen, Dutch duim "thumb," Old Norse þumall "thumb of a glove"), literally "the stout or thick (finger)," from PIE *tum- "swell," from root *teue- "to swell
    leaf
    Old English leaf "leaf of a plant, foliage; page of a book, sheet of paper," from Proto-Germanic *lauba- (source also of Old Saxon lof, Old Norse lauf, Old Frisian laf, Dutch loof, Old High German loub, German Laub "foliage, leaves," Gothic laufs "leaf, foliage"), perhaps from PI
    riffraff
    also riff-raff, late 15c., "persons of disreputable character or low degree," from earlier rif and raf (Anglo-French rif...
    bourgeois
    " Bourgeois," I observed, "is an epithet which the riff-raff apply to what is respectable, and the aristocracy to what...
    spiel
    "glib speech, pitch," slang, 1896 (Ade), probably from the verb (1894, in a San Francisco context) meaning "to speak in a glib manner," earlier "to play circus music" (1870, in a German-American context), from German spielen "to play," from Old High German spilon (cognate with Ol
    flea
    Old English flea "flea," from Proto-Germanic *flauhaz (source also of Old Norse flo, Middle Dutch vlo, German Floh), perhaps related to Old English fleon "to flee," with a notion of "the jumping parasite," but more likely from PIE *plou- "flea" (source also of Latin pulex, Greek
    peruse
    late 15c., "to go through searchingly or in detail, run over with careful scrutiny," from Middle English per- "completely" (see per) + use (v.). Meaning "read carefully and critically" is by 1530s, but this could be a separate formation. Meaning "read casually" is from 19c. Relat
    play
    Middle English pleien, from Old English plegan, plegian "move lightly and quickly, occupy or busy oneself, amuse oneself; engage in active exercise; frolic; engage in children's play; make sport of, mock; perform music." It is from Proto-West Germanic *plegōjanan "occupy oneself
    refrain
    mid-14c., refreinen, transitive, "exercise control over, restrain; hold (someone or something) back from action," senses now obsolete, also "exercise control over" (thoughts, desires, feelings, vices, etc.); from Old French refraigner, refrener, refreiner "restrain, repress, keep

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