Английский Этимологический словарь - rip (v.)

- "tear apart," 14c., related to Flem. rippen "strip off roughly," Frisian rippe "to tear, rip." The phrase rip off (v.) "to steal or rob," is first recorded c.1967 in black slang, but rip was prison slang for "to steal" since 1904, and was also used in this sense in 12c. Rip-off (n.) is from 1970. Jack the Ripper contains a pun on ripper in sense of "tool for ripping" (used on old slates, etc.) and the slang meaning "a ripping fellow," from ripping "excellent, splendid" (1826).