riff-raffy

English

Etymology

From riffraff +‎ -y. First use appears c. 1850. See cite below.

Adjective

riff-raffy

1. Synonym of riffraffish
   • 1850, Sylvester Judd, Richard Edney and the Governor's Family, A Rusurban Tale, page 145:

     "Not Tunny and I," retorted the lady; "they are noisy, riffraffy, and smell of cowheel and codfish, - uncomfortable to polite minds, disrelishable to respectable society, and dangerous to genteel young ladies.

   • 1962, Elwyn Brooks White (contributor), “The Talk Of The Town”, in The New Yorker, volume 38, page 29:

     Brunswick, always thinking ahead, kept improving the tone of bowling alleys, extending credit to potential bowling-alley proprietors, hiring architects and decorators to make sure the places wouldn't look riff-raffy.

   • 1987, Bernard Sabath, You Caught Me Dancing, page 18:

     He was frettin' and fiddlin' over a new story 'bout that riff-raffy Huckleberry Finn.