[Late Middle English riffe raffe, from Middle English rif and raf, everything, one and all, rubbish, rabble, ultimately (if the expression was not coined in Middle English from elements of French origin and then borrowed by Middle French) from Middle French and Anglo-Norman rifraf, rif et raf, altogether, as in emporter rif et raf, to take away everything, probably a reduplicated formation from Middle French rifler, to plunder (from Old French to brush up against, scratch; see RIFLE²) and Middle French rafer, to remove or make off with forcefully (from Old French, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch rapen, to gather, collect, and Middle High German raffen, to snatch, rip off).]