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Chris -- 2018-04-11
“To rifle through” something means to search through it thoroughly or vigorously. “To trifle with” something means to toy with it. The “trifling through” expression often seems like a fairly seamless blend of the two – for many writers it apparently implies working your way through a number of things, but often in a somewhat aimless manner. And maybe the fact that some of the things being rifled through are trifles also influences this one. About 180 raw hits and 94 unique hits. Examples:
I was at work the other day and doing the enviable duty of taking out the trash ( Yes, I have a VERY high profile job!) and I was startled by an old man trifling through the dumpster, possible the same one who hangs out inside it sometimes…
http://www.satanosphere.com/user/femmefierce/diary
Trifling through old memories in a shoebox
I found a letter from my best friend
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl … thing.html
“Who?” She asked, trifling through her own bags.
http://www.quizilla.com/users/ThexEndle … 0Hermione/
Then today he comes into my room trifling through letters I’ve written and have been written to me…
http://www.xanga.com/TheWindCrashesAroundMe
As a side note, I was surprised to see in the OED that their first citation for “to rifle through” something (as opposed to the use of the verb without “through”) is only from 1966. Huh.
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At first I didn’t get this… then I realized I was thinking of “riffling through” as you would do with a book. I hadn’t heard the phrase “rifling through” in so long that it took me a while to remember it.
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