Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
RIFFLE / RIFLE
We are all familiar with the noun rifle, a type of firearm, but what about the verb rifle that is unrelated to guns? And when does the verb riffle come into play?
The verb rifle with which we are concerned here means ransack or plunder. The related verb riffle is often used with the preposition through and means hastily search or skim as in she watched him riffle through the pages of the book in search of the photo he wanted to show her.
INCORRECT: The burglar riffled the drawer, looking for cash.
CORRECT: The burglar rifled the drawer, looking for cash.
INCORRECT: She rifled the pages of her diary, looking for the flower she had pressed there years ago.
CORRECT: She riffled the pages of her diary, looking for the flower she had pressed there years ago.
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