An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Riffel

by Friedrich Kluge

Riffel, Rüffel, neuter, ‘flax-comb, ripple; censure,’ probably allied to Middle High German riffeln, rifeln, ‘to comb or hatchel flax,’ riffel, ‘mattock,’ Old High German riffila, ‘saw.’ German has similar figurative terms for ‘to find fault with, inveigh against’ (similar to etwas durchecheln, ‘to censure’). Compare reffen.