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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ruf(f, n. Also: ruf(f)e, ruif(f, rwff, rouf, rooffe. [e.m.E. ruffe sleeve-ruff (1523), article of neck-wear (1555), of doubtful origin. Perh., OED conjectures, f. rough Ruch adj. Cf. e.m.E. ruffle v. = to destroy the evenness of (a1300), to trim with ruffles (1653).] a. ? In, esp., early examples: ? A sleeve-ruff. = c below. b. A starched collar of linen, worn as part of fashionable dress, and sometimes decorated with silk, gold, silver, lace, etc. Also attrib.(a) 1549 Treas. Acc. IX 297.
Hollande claith to be ruffis, sychtis and nekkis to thir sarkis 1562 Ib. XI 158.
Lynnyng claith to be the pagis and ane laquay sarkis, ruffis to sarkis [etc.] 1566 Ib. XII 11.
Small lynnyng to be cragis and ruffis 1580 Ib. MS 43 (2) b.
vij eln of small camerage to be heich ruffis 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 576.
His ruffe curfufled about his craig 1590 Waus Corr. 463.
Jhone … vants sarkis and ruffis 1603 Montgomery Mem. II 247.
Small thrid to shoue my rufs 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 172b.
Als meikill campraige to be hir tua ruffis and tua courtscheis 1624 Perth Kirk S. MS 23 March.
Beatrix Wichtoun … schew that men resortit to hir hous … for wasching and stiffing of thair ruffis 1625 Linlithgow B. Rec. 1 April.
[The council] ordaines Dawid Fleming … to satisfie the officer speciallie for ryffing his ruff 1630 Reg. Privy S. 2 Ser. III 620.
She pulled him back be the ruff to the ground and he lowtting to have tane up his ruff she [etc.] 1634 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 6 March.
Rwff 1638 Bk. Pasquils 56.
Pyet preachers with shoulder ruffes 1641 Acts V 348/1.
That no persone … shall have pearling or ribbening vpoun ther ruffes bandis shirtes napkines and sockes except the persones priviledged(b) 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 234.
Sevintene frunsit ruiffis of layn 1642 Dumfries Test. I 113b.
Ane reid wylliecoate and ane ruiff and ane curtshay 1649 St. A. Baxter Bks. 119.
And strak and abuisit the said James Pitcairne and almost woriet him with his ruiff(c) 1603 Montgomery Mem. II 246.
For ane vyr to ver vith ane French rouf, v s. … for thri vyrs to uer vith Inglich roufs, iij s.(d) 1613 Edinb. Test. XLVII 246.
Ane rufe of slyris 1618 Ib. L 78.
Tuelff rufis a x s. the peice(e) 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 45b.
Tuo camricke rooffesattrib. 1632 Edinb. Test. LV 279.
Tua wispes of ruff glespes

c. Ruff cuff, a sleeve-ruff; a ruffle. c1633 Buccleuch Mun. 280.
Thrie cutwark bandis … four ruffis, and four pair ruff cuffis