86
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌeɪtiˈsɪks/
Forms: form: 86s
form: 86ing
form: 86ed
form: 86ed
form: 86'd
form: 86'd
Etymology: 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. 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.
Senses: examples: text: 86 the ham and eggs for table two!
glosses: To cancel an order for food.
examples: text: 86 the lobster bisque – we won’t have the lobster delivery until tomorrow.
glosses: To temporarily remove an item from the menu.
examples: text: We finally had to 86 that old printer after it jammed one too many times.
text: 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."
ref: 2011 July 31, Rob Smyth and Rob Bagchi, “England v India - as it happened”, in The Guardian:
text: Nobody...and I mean NOBODY seriously considers the old saying to “86” someone as a physical threat.
ref: 2025 May 16, teacherbill, “86 47! Come and get me Tulsi, Kash and Pam. You can't get us all.”, in Daily Kos:
text: 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.
ref: 2025 May 16, Edward Helmore, “What does ‘8647’ really mean? Not what Trump’s supporters are saying”, in The Guardian:
glosses: To throw out; discard.
examples: text: The restaurant 86ed us because we didn't fit the dress code.
text: (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."
ref: 1995, Leaving Las Vegas, 00:10:40
glosses: To deny service to.
examples: text: He stole from me and snitched on me, so I 86ed him.
text: 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?”
ref: 2017 September 28, Josh Corbin, 37:03 from the start, in Start Up, season 2, episode 6, spoken by Ronald Dacey (Edi Gathegi):
glosses: To kill.
Synonyms: nix
ixnay
Derived terms: 8646
8647
Related terms: eighty-six