In this context, riffing doesn't just mean improvising - it means to use an existing idea as a starting point for something new. The term 'riffing' originates in music, but has a slightly different meaning in other contexts. In music, a 'riff' is a repeated musical phrase, although in many styles of music which involve improvisation (Jazz, for example) it is common to vary the phrase rather ...
The original meaning of the verb to riff off came from jazz, where it specifically meant to borrow and elaborate on (a musical phrase) - as opposed to to rip off (which simply means to steal). That slang verb usage has been "nounified" in OP's example, where the intended meaning is that the two young men in question dress and act like archetypal / stereotypical gangsters as portrayed in movies ...
0 "Take it easy and riff" and expression created by the writers. A riff is a repeated musical phrase. To "riff" on something means to take a theme and repeat it, often with small variations. It can also mean "to improvise around a theme". So figuratively it means "to make it up as we go along".
Yahoo: Dweezil Zappa laments the absence of riffs in modern music and what it means for future guitar players
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images When it comes to guitar in modern music, Dweezil Zappa says the guitar riff ...
Dweezil Zappa laments the absence of riffs in modern music and what it means for future guitar players