It is #GrammarSeries on the Sparkle Writer’s Hub blog today and we want to learn about the difference between two words; Rifle and Riffle.
When you’re riffling, you’re hastily flipping through something or shuffling cards by interlacing them.
Although the Oxford English Dictionary says the origin of “riffle” is uncertain, one theory is that it’s a blend between “ripple” and “ruffle.”
Here’s an example of how you’d use “riffle”:
As she riffled through the drawer, she found a hidden note.
The wind can also riffle your hair or riffle water to create riffles or ripples.
When you’re rifling, you’re searching frantically or ransacking, usually meaning to steal something. “Rifle” is from the Old French word for “steal or plunder.” We are sure you’d get the difference now.
Here’s an example of how you’d use “rifle”:
I could tell he had rifled through my drawers.
As a noun, a rifle is also a weapon. A long gun that you hold up against your shoulder to shoot.
