or ruffle, or ruffling roister, subs. (old).—1.  Spec. as in quot. 1565 (in Statue 27 Hen. VIII. = a sham soldier or sailor): whence (2) a bully, cheat, or violent or swaggering blackguard (AWDELEY, HARMAN, B. E., COLES, GROSE). RUFFLE (also RUFFLER), verb. = (1) to plunder, to rob: spec. with menaces and imprecations; and (2) to swagger, flaunt it, put on SIDE (q.v.) or be turbulent; RUFFLERY = violence; RUFFERED = boisterous; and RUFFLE = to dispute.

1

  c. 1537–50.  Old Poem [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 512. There are the Dutch words RUFFLE (brag), and trick up (ornare)].

2

  1565.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, 29. Now these RUFFLARS, the out castes of seruing men, when begginge or crauinge fayles, then they pycke and pylfer, from other inferiour beggeres that they méete by the waye, as Roages, Pallyardes, Mortes, and Doxes. Ibid. A RUFFLAR … wretchedly wanders aboute the most shyres of this realme; and with stoute audacyte demaundeth where he thinketh he may be bolde, and circomspecte ynough as he sethe cause to aske charitie.

3

  1579.  The Mariage of Witt and Wisdome.

                  My man Lob,
Is become a jolly RUFFLER.

4

  1582.  STANYHURST, Æneis, iii. But neere ioynctlye brayeth with RUFFLERYE rumboled Ætna.

5

  1593.  SHAKESPEARE, Titus Andronicus, i. 2.

        One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons,
And RUFFLE in the commonwealth of Rome.
    Ibid. (1605), King Lear, iii. 7.
                I am your host;
With robbers’ hands, my hospitable favours
You should not RUFFLE thus.
    Ibid. (1609), A Lover’s Complaint.
Sometime a blusterer, that the RUFFLE knew
Of court, of city.

6

  1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Ruffo … Also a RUFFLING ROISTER or ruffian, a swaggrer.

7

  1600.  JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, iii. 3. Lady, I cannot RUFFLE IT in red and yellow.

8

  1610.  Mirror for Magistrates, 473.

        And what the RUFFLER spake, the lout took for a verdite,
For there the best was worst, worst best regarded.
    Ibid., 165.
To Britaine over seas from Rome went I,
To quaile the Picts, that RUFFLED in that ile.

9

  1611.  MIDDLETON, The Roaring Girle [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), vi. 108]. Brother to this upright man, flesh and blood, RUFFLING Tear-cat is my name; and a RUFFLER is my stile, my title, my profession.

10

  1614.  FLETCHER, Wit without Money, v. 3.

          Isab.  Can I not go about my private meditations, ha?
But such companions as you must RUFFLE me.

11

  1641.  MILTON, Of Reformation in England, i. Revil’d, and RUFFL’D by an insulting, and only-Canon-wise Prelate.

12

  1712.  STEELE, Spectator, 132. Our company was so far from being soured by this little RUFFLE that Ephraim and he took particular delight in being agreeable to each other for the future.

13

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, xxv. A gude fellow that has been but a twelvemonth on the lay, be he RUFFLER or padder. Ibid. (1821), Kenilworth, xiii. He looked like a gay RUFFLING serving-man.

14

  1830.  BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xvi.

        Oh, what a beast is a niggardly RUFFLER,
  Nabbing—grabbing all for himself.

15

  1890.  Answers, 27 Dec. In this fashion I RUFFLED like a prince for six years on a regular income of nothing per annum.

16