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meaning - What does the term "86'd" relate to?


What does it mean when someone or something is referred to as being "86'd"?



Answer



Without further context, I would take it to mean that that someone or something was rejected, thrown out or discarded. It's a slang expression, encountered primarily in restaurant context. When you eighty-six someone, you refuse to serve them.


Edit: Wiktionary lists a few more meanings, along with this bit about etymology:



Origin uncertain. The [Oxford English Dictionary] suggests possible rhyming slang for nix. Other more elaborate theories include Delmonaco Restaurant in New York City, as item #86 on their menu, their house 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 20s. 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 yelled ‘86-it' to hide the liquor and signal the patrons to quickly exit the back door.



The Maven's Word of the Day has some additional discussion:



The ultimate origin of eighty-six is unknown. The most widely accepted theory is that eighty-six is rhyming slang for nix[.] One problem with this theory is that rhyming slang has never been very popular in the United States. Another problem is that it doesn't account for the origin of other numeric codes such as [eighty-two, ninety-five, and ninety-nine], which would seem to be related to eighty-six.



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