'riff-raff'?

[LEESON]

Does anyone know of the origin of the term 'riff-raff'?

[Quizmonster]

From Old French 'rif et raf', meaning 'every single one' and used in English since the 15th century. It was applied to people of lower-class or disreputable behaviour.

[Clanad]

To flesh out Q's totally adroit answer you can check this from World Wide Words...
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-rif1.htm ...

[LEESON]

Thanks to 'Quizmaster' and 'Clanad' for their responses

[THECORBYLOON]

It's QuizMONSTER by the way, QuizMASTER is a different ABer.

[Quizmonster]

That's kind, TCL...I've pretty much decided not to bother with it any more, it happens so often. I've never really understood why AB allows such close user-names to be claimed. But what the hey!

[crokepark]

Idioms, Quotes and Sayings.

GOOD SITES WITH ORIGINS.

http://www.word-detective.com/index.html

http://www.word-detective.com/backidx.html

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/

http://www.wordorigins.org/

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/

http://www.wordwizard.com/

http://www.quotationsbook.com/

http://www.quoteworld.org/

http://www.rockwisdom.com/

http://www.great-quotes.com/

http://quotations.home.worldnet.att.net/

http://www.quotationspage.com/

http://www.online-literature.com/quotes/quotat ions.php

AllGreatQuotes - Famous Quotes and Quotations

http://www.allgreatquotes.com/index.shtml

Good luck.

[JonRB]

Great film by Ken Loach !!!