86 (term)
Encyclopedia
"86","86'd", "86ed", or eighty-sixed when used as a verb in American English, is a slang term for refusing service or getting rid of something. The etymology of the term is uncertain. The most common theory is that it originated in a New York bar named Chumley's
which escorted unruly guests out its back door, which held the address "86 Bedford St." During Prohibition, Chumley's
was a speakeasy. When a police raid was imminent, someone would shout "Eighty-six it," and everyone would exit through the back door. It may also have been rhyming slang for "nix" or may come from the key code combination of older cash registers to cancel a sales transaction.
term that is used in the American popular culture as a transitive verb
to mean throw out or get rid of, particularly in the food service industry as a term to describe an item no longer available on the menu, or to refuse service to a customer.
In the food service industry, 86 is used in a variety of related ways. A menu item can be 86'd if it or one of its component ingredients is out of stock or nearly so. A particular item can be 86'd if it needs to be thrown out because it is no longer fit for service, such as being past its expiration date, or due to poor presentation, such as being made sloppily and beyond repair. If a food order is canceled and no longer needed, the item or entire order can be 86'd. When referring to a customer, it can mean to no longer serve someone who has had too much to drink, or it can mean to remove someone from the establishment for unruly behavior.
History:
Originally used by publishers or copywriters to sign off at the end of the paper. This two digit code of 86 was used to let readers know the thought or page was completed. Today it is popular to sign off with a series of stars like so ***** or a series of number signs as ####.
, "86'd" is widely used in American culture and beyond.
Whether it was the catalyst that propelled '86' into American culture, or just helped reinforce it, Gore Vidal
's play Visit to a Small Planet
was a well-received comedy whose main character
uses the command number "86" numerous times to destroy things. The play was first shown on the Goodyear Television Playhouse
in 1955 as a television play
. In February 1957, it was released on New York City
's Broadway
as a very popular, Tony Award
winning play, with actor Eddie Mayehoff
, which ran for 388 performances at the Booth Theatre
. Thereafter, the play was released as a movie: Visit to a Small Planet, starring Jerry Lewis
was released in late 1960, and re-released in 1966 on a double billing. Lewis played the part of Kreton, an alien with special powers. To activate his powers, he used number commands, one of which was 86, and that destroyed things. He kills a plant by saying "eighty-six" and later threatens to kill someone with the same command number.
The designation of Maxwell Smart as "Agent 86" in the television series "Get Smart" was, according to one of the show's creators, Buck Henry, a reference to the slang usage of 86.
Chumley's
Chumley's is an historic pub and former speakeasy at 86 Bedford Street in New York City. It was established in 1926 by the socialist activist Leland Stanford Chumley, who converted a former blacksmith's shop near the corner of Bedford and Barrow Streets into the Prohibition-era drinking...
which escorted unruly guests out its back door, which held the address "86 Bedford St." During Prohibition, Chumley's
Chumley's
Chumley's is an historic pub and former speakeasy at 86 Bedford Street in New York City. It was established in 1926 by the socialist activist Leland Stanford Chumley, who converted a former blacksmith's shop near the corner of Bedford and Barrow Streets into the Prohibition-era drinking...
was a speakeasy. When a police raid was imminent, someone would shout "Eighty-six it," and everyone would exit through the back door. It may also have been rhyming slang for "nix" or may come from the key code combination of older cash registers to cancel a sales transaction.
Use of term
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, "86" is a slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term that is used in the American popular culture as a transitive verb
Transitive verb
In syntax, a transitive verb is a verb that requires both a direct subject and one or more objects. The term is used to contrast intransitive verbs, which do not have objects.-Examples:Some examples of sentences with transitive verbs:...
to mean throw out or get rid of, particularly in the food service industry as a term to describe an item no longer available on the menu, or to refuse service to a customer.
In the food service industry, 86 is used in a variety of related ways. A menu item can be 86'd if it or one of its component ingredients is out of stock or nearly so. A particular item can be 86'd if it needs to be thrown out because it is no longer fit for service, such as being past its expiration date, or due to poor presentation, such as being made sloppily and beyond repair. If a food order is canceled and no longer needed, the item or entire order can be 86'd. When referring to a customer, it can mean to no longer serve someone who has had too much to drink, or it can mean to remove someone from the establishment for unruly behavior.
History:
Originally used by publishers or copywriters to sign off at the end of the paper. This two digit code of 86 was used to let readers know the thought or page was completed. Today it is popular to sign off with a series of stars like so ***** or a series of number signs as ####.
Usage of "86"
Today, the term "86", and especially its past tensePast tense
The past tense is a grammatical tense that places an action or situation in the past of the current moment , or prior to some specified time that may be in the speaker's past, present, or future...
, "86'd" is widely used in American culture and beyond.
- In 1968, when Norman MailerNorman MailerNorman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
had a week long party in the East HamptonsEast Hampton (town), New YorkThe Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
, the July 31, New York Times article; "Mailer Film party Real Bash: 1 Broken Jaw, 2 Bloody Heads" by Anthony Lukas writes; ""He told me, 'You're 86'd,'" Mr. Smith recalled yesterday. This is a barroom phrase that means "you're banned in here."
- In 1975, Charles BukowskiCharles BukowskiHenry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
uses the term 86'd in the novel FactotumFactotumFactotum is the second novel by American author Charles Bukowski. The plot follows Henry Chinaski, Bukowski's alter ego, who has been rejected from the World War II draft and makes his way from one menial job to the next...
to describe being outed from a bar, "We were 86'd, walked down the street looking for another bar."
- In the Late 1970s New York Times columnist, Millstein frequently used the term 86'd in his articles. In the October 26, 1977 article, "A Night on the Tiles at Berry's" he writes; "(He'd been 86'd out of another place owned by the Reisdorffs for tweaking a man's nose only a short while before.)", and in the April 26, 1978 article, "Bistro: The View From the Grill; All in a day's work: burgers and Schopenhauer" he writes; "Sometimes somebody who is 86'd, a term that means the person is kicked out ..."
- In the 1995 album Insomniac by Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, there was a song called "86" included. The song was written by Green Day frontman Billie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
and has reflected the band being "86'd" from 924 Gilman Street924 Gilman Street924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
.
- In a February 2, 2010 article in the New York Times, Columnist Glenn Collins quoted the Pegu Club's owner as saying; "... she immediately "86'd the Earl Gray" - ceased serving it - because of the seriousness of the violation and because the inspector recommended..."
- In a July 16, 2009 Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
article; "Sweet & Savories restaurant pares prices but not the flavor", by food critic Phil Vettel writes, "You'll always find steak frites on the menu, and I imagine if Richards 86'd the lobster risotto there would be rioting."
- In the 2009 book "86'd: A Novel (P.S.)" by Dan FanteDan FanteDan Fante is an American author and playwright.Chump Change, Mooch,"86'd" and Spitting Off Tall Buildings comprise a trilogy, based around Fante's hard living alter-ego Bruno Dante. Chump Change found publication in France originally, before being published in the US by Sun Dog Press...
is about a man who gets fired and battles his alcoholism.
- In 2008, in Unalaska, AlaskaUnalaska, AlaskaUnalaska is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska is located on Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Islands off of mainland Alaska....
, the sign outside of the Unisea bar read "If you fight on these premises, you will be 86'd for an indefinite period of time."
- In Mark RomanekMark RomanekMark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
's 2002 movie One Hour PhotoOne Hour PhotoOne Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed the film in the United States. One Hour Photo also starred Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. Williams won a...
, the customer number system is at 86 just before Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
's character is fired.
- In 1993, the television series Northern ExposureNorthern ExposureNorthern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
's "Jaws of Life" episode, John CullumJohn CullumJohn Cullum is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including On the Twentieth Century and Shenandoah , winning the Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each...
's character, Holling Vincoeur, owner of the "Brick" bar uses the term "eighty-six" on Chris Stevens (played by John Corbett), who is drunk and is insulting other guests.
- In the 1995 Academy Award nominated film, Leaving Las VegasLeaving Las VegasLeaving Las Vegas is a 1995 romantic drama film directed and written by Mike Figgis, based on a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic who has ended his personal and professional life to drink himself to death in Las Vegas...
the phrase is used by Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
's character Ben Sanderson, while at a bar in the middle of the day.
Etymology
Merriam-Webster opines that the term may have come from a rhyming slang substitution for "nix" ("no" or a more general prohibition). The first known use is from 1959.Whether it was the catalyst that propelled '86' into American culture, or just helped reinforce it, Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
's play Visit to a Small Planet
Visit to a Small Planet
Visit to a Small Planet is a 1960 Paramount Pictures film starring Jerry Lewis, based on a play by Gore Vidal. It was released on February 4, 1960.-Plot:...
was a well-received comedy whose main character
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
uses the command number "86" numerous times to destroy things. The play was first shown on the Goodyear Television Playhouse
Goodyear Television Playhouse
The Goodyear Television Playhouse produced live television dramas from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television".Sponsored by Goodyear, the hour-long anthology series was telecast Sundays at 9pm on NBC...
in 1955 as a television play
Television play
From the 1950s until the early 1980s, the television play was a popular television programming genre in the United Kingdom, with a shorter span in the United States. The genre was often associated with the social realist-influenced British drama style known as "kitchen sink realism", which depicted...
. In February 1957, it was released on New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
as a very popular, Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning play, with actor Eddie Mayehoff
Eddie Mayehoff
Eddie Mayehoff was an American actor.Probably his best known role was as Harold Lampson, the henpecked husband and incompetent lawyer in the 1965 comedy movie How to Murder Your Wife....
, which ran for 388 performances at the Booth Theatre
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
. Thereafter, the play was released as a movie: Visit to a Small Planet, starring Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
was released in late 1960, and re-released in 1966 on a double billing. Lewis played the part of Kreton, an alien with special powers. To activate his powers, he used number commands, one of which was 86, and that destroyed things. He kills a plant by saying "eighty-six" and later threatens to kill someone with the same command number.
The designation of Maxwell Smart as "Agent 86" in the television series "Get Smart" was, according to one of the show's creators, Buck Henry, a reference to the slang usage of 86.
External links
- "eighty-six"="nix" Yaelf.com, the alt.usage.english FAQ