86 (term)

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Eighty-six or 86 is American English slang used to indicate that an item is no longer available, traditionally from a food or drinks establishment, or referring to a person or people who are not welcome on the premises. Its etymology is unknown, but seems to have been coined in the 1920s or 1930s.

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The term has been more generally used to mean getting rid of someone or something. In the 1970s, its meaning expanded to refer to murder. [1]

Etymology and meanings

The term eighty-six was initially used in restaurants and bars according to most late twentieth-century American slang dictionaries. [2] It is often used in food and drink services to indicate that an item is no longer available or that a customer should be ejected. [2] Beyond this context, it is generally used with the meaning to 'get rid of' someone or something. [2]

According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, it means to "refuse to serve (a customer)", to "get rid of" or "throw out" someone or something. [3]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary , it may be used as a noun or verb. [4] As a noun, "In restaurants and bars, an expression indicating that the supply of an item is exhausted, or that a customer is not to be served; also, a customer to be refused service. Also transferred." [4] As a transitive verb derived from the noun, it means "to eject or debar (a person) from premises; to reject or abandon". [4] The OED gives examples of usage from 1933 to 1981. [4] For example, from The Candidate , in which the media adviser said to Robert Redford, "OK, now, for starters, we got to cut your hair and eighty-six the sideburns". [4]

According to Cassell's Dictionary of Slang , the meaning expanded during the 1970s to also mean "to kill, to murder; to execute judicially". [1] [5] This usage was derived from the slang term used in restaurants. [6] Other slang dictionaries confirm this definition. [7] [8] [6]

The address of Chumley's--86 Bedford Street, West Village--is one of several origin stories of the term Chumleys 86 Bedford St cloudy morn jeh.jpg
The address of Chumley's—86 Bedford Street, West Village—is one of several origin stories of the term

There are many theories about the origin of the term but none is certain. It seems to have originated in the 1920s or 1930s.[ citation needed ] Possible origins include:

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References

  1. 1 2 Green, Jonathon (2005). Cassell's Dictionary of Slang. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 174. ISBN   978-0-304-36636-1. 2 [1970s+] (US) to kill, to murder; to execute judicially.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dundes, Alan (2001). "An Uplifting Origin of 86". American Speech . 76 (4): 437–440. doi:10.1215/00031283-76-4-437. S2CID   143761197.
  3. "Definition of 86 by Merriam-Webster". Merriam-Webster. October 2020. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "eighty-six, n.", Oxford English Dictionary , 1989, retrieved October 21, 2020(subscription required)
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  6. 1 2 Hendrickson, Robert (2008). The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Facts on File. ISBN   978-0-8160-6966-8. Eighty-six. To murder someone or put an end to something, [...] The expression derives from the restaurant waiter slang term eighty-six, which, among other things, means to "deny an unwelcome customer service" or to "cancel an order" ("Eighty-six the eggs!"), [...]
  7. Lighter, Jonathan E.; House (Firm), Random (1994). Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang: H-O. Random House. ISBN   978-0-679-43464-1. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  8. Dalzell, Tom; Victor, Terry (June 26, 2015). The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-37251-6. Eighty-six to kill US, 1991
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