86

86 (previous 85, next 87)

1. the number eighty-six
   • 2011 July 31, Rob Smyth and Rob Bagchi, “England v India - as it happened”, in The Guardian‎^[3] (in English):

     Another mention must be made for Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - I 86ed it after only 86 pages; Americans amongst us will understand the numbers reference."

Unknown for certain but most probably from soda jerk slang from the 1920s for 'all out', referring to an item on the menu not being available.

The earliest mention in print is from 1933.^[1] The OED suggests possible rhyming slang for nix. Another possibility is that it is rhyming slang for deep six.

Cassell's Dictionary of Slang claims that the term comes from the digging of a standard grave, which is 2.5 feet wide by 8 feet long by 6 feet deep.

Other, more elaborate theories include Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City, as item #86 on their menu, the famous Delmonico steak, is supposed to have run out often in the 19th century. Another theory is that this term came from the New York speakeasy Chumley’s, which was a hotspot in the 1920s. Chumley’s is hidden inside a West Village building which has two entrances: a well-set-back main entrance on Barrow Street and an obscure back-door exit on 86 Bedford Street. When police were sighted approaching the main entrance, the barkeeps supposedly yelled ‘86 it!’ to signal the patrons to hide the liquor and exit quickly through the back door. The term became standard in the service industry for ejecting someone by the 1940s.^[2]

• IPA^(key): /ˌeɪtiˈsɪks/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

86 (third-person singular simple present 86s, present participle 86ing, simple past and past participle 86ed or 86'd) (US, chiefly restaurants, informal, transitive)

1. To cancel an order for food.

   86 the ham and eggs for table two!

2. To temporarily remove an item from the menu.

   86 the lobster bisque – we won’t have the lobster delivery until tomorrow.

3. To throw out; discard.

   We finally had to 86 that old printer after it jammed one too many times.

   • 2011 July 31, Rob Smyth and Rob Bagchi, “England v India - as it happened”, in The Guardian‎^[4]:

     Another mention must be made for Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - I 86ed it after only 86 pages; Americans amongst us will understand the numbers reference."

   • 2025 May 16, teacherbill, “86 47! Come and get me Tulsi, Kash and Pam. You can't get us all.”, in Daily Kos‎^[5]:

     Nobody...and I mean NOBODY seriously considers the old saying to “86” someone as a physical threat.

   • 2025 May 16, Edward Helmore, “What does ‘8647’ really mean? Not what Trump’s supporters are saying”, in The Guardian‎^[6]:

     But there are other origin stories for being “86’d”, according to Merriam-Webster, including lunch-counter slang for being all out of a dish.

4. To deny service to.

   The restaurant 86ed us because we didn't fit the dress code.

   • 1995, Leaving Las Vegas, 00:10:40:

     (Ben Sanderson, speaking to a bartender) -- "Please, serve me today, and I'll never come in here again. If I do, you can 86 me."

5. To kill.

   He stole from me and snitched on me, so I 86ed him.

   • 2017 September 28, Josh Corbin, 37:03 from the start, in Start Up, season 2, episode 6, spoken by Ronald Dacey (Edi Gathegi):

     RONALD:”They tried to ghost your girl Isabel right here”. WES CHANDLER(played by Ron Perlman):”Tried to ‘ghost’ her?” RONALD:”Merk. 86. Put her down in the dirt. You feel me?”

• nix
• ixnay

• eighty-six

• 6/8