Ruffin, the, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Ruffin, the n.

also old Ruffin, the Ruffian

[SE ruffian, rogue + 13C SE Ruffin, the name of a specific demon; cits. 1834, 1922 are conscious archaisms]

the Devil.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: To the Ruffian, to the devyll. The ruffian cly thee, the devyll take thee.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 40: Ruffian the diuell.
1612		Dekker O per se O M: They have in their Canting, a word for Diuell, or the plague, etc. as Ruffin for the one, and Cannikin for the other.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush III iv: Twang dells i’ th’ strommel, and let the Quire Cuffin / And Harman Becks trine and trine to the ruffin.
1647		New Merry Letany 5: From a Ruffins oaths, and a Traytors speeches [...] Libera nos.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 51: Ruffin, The Devil.
1675		Head Art of Wheedling 160: This Town-shift is sometimes called [...] Ruffin, Shabbaroon, Subtler.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Ruffian, or Ruffin, the Devil.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ruffin The Devil.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 194: The Ruffin nab the Cuffin-quere, and let the Harmanbeck trine with his Kinchins about his Coloquaron [Let the Devil take the Justice, and let the Constable hang with his Children about his Neck].
1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 209: He taught his Pupil a deal of canting Words, telling him [...] Ruffin, the devil.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: ruffin the Devil; as, The Ruffin nab the Cuffin-Quere, and let the Harmanbeck trine with his Kinchins about his Col-quarron; i.e. Let the Devil take the Justice, and let the Constable hang with his Children about his Neck.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 116: The Devil The Ruffin.
1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 10: I told him from whence they came, and he said he did not care if they came from Ruffen (that is, the Devil).
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 17: The Devil – Ruffin.
1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Ruffin, the devil. (cant). — may the ruffin nab the cuffin queer, and let the harmanbeck trine with his kinchins about his colquarren; may the Devil take the justice, and let the constable be hanged with his children about his neck.
1786		Oxford Jrnl 4 Mar. 3/2: Tho’ thou hast scapt the chates for this bout, I may see thee a babe in the wood before tis over: and so the ruffin cly thee.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) n.p.: Ruffian. The devil.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1796].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 144: We shall have old Ruffin himself amongst us presently.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 405: The ruffin cly the nab of Stephen Hand as give me the jady coppaleen.

In phrases

shook to the ruffin (adj.)

extremely moved, emotional.

1854

Bell’s Life in Sydney 14 Oct. 3/2: Peter Kelly was, to use a slang Hibernianism ‘shook to the ruffin’.

to the Ruffian (UK Und.)

to the utmost perfection.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 168: Togged out to the ruffian, no doubt.

what a Ruffin

(UK und.) interrog. phr., what the devil?

1639

J. Taylor Crabree Lectures 189: Cove. You had twenty five boord Cove, what a Ruffin is budged with it?

In exclamations

Ruffin cly thee!, the (also Ruffian cly thee!, the) [cly v. (1)]

(UK Und.) an excl. meaning ‘the Devil take thee!’.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: To the Ruffian, to the devyll. The ruffian cly thee, the devyll take thee. [Ibid.] 86: Gerry gan, the ruffian clye thee. A torde in thy mouth, the deuyll take thee.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Belman of London (3rd edn) B4: The Ruffin cly thee, farewell and betrinde.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 198: Wapping thou I know do’s love, / else the Ruffin cly the Mort; / From thy Stamper then remove, / thy Drawers, and let’s prig in Sport [What thy Grandame lov’dst dost thou, / Or else you are not kind I vow, / Off then with thy Stockings and Shoes, / And let us do what others use].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict.
1786		Oxford Jrnl 4 Mar. 3/2: Tho’ hast scapt the chates for this bout. I may see thee a babe in the wood before tis over, and to the Ruffin cly thee.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) n.p.: The ruffian cly thee; the Devil take thee.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1796].
1828		Lytton Pelham III 297: ‘The ruffian cly thee, Guinea Pig, for stashing the lush,’ said Spider-shanks.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 68: Ruffian, the devil;‘ruffian cly you,’ devil take you.