Wordsmith.Org: The Magic of Words: The Magic of Words




Today's Word

Yesterday's Word



AWADmail Issue 90

July 10, 2002


From: Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
Subject: eighty-six

Many readers shared their favorite stories about the origin of the term eighty-six. We don't yet have a definitive proof to confirm a single theory. However, the most popular one, Chumley's bar at 86 Bedford St., is not the right one based on the evidence that the term was in existence before the bar came into being. Here are some selections.

I was told by a bartender friend that the derivation of "eight-six'd" comes from the Old West. Alcohol was once allowed to be 100 proof in strength, and when a regular was known to get disorderly, he was served with spirits of a slightly lower 86 proof. Hence he was "86'd."
-Marc Olmsted (makemarcATaol.com)

New Yorkers know a different origin for this phrase. There's a bar/restaurant called Chumley's, at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village. The bar has a formidable history as a literary hangout, but more importantly, as a speakeasy. The place is known for having no identifying markings on the door, and at least four or five hidden passageways that led to exits, some into adjacent apartment buildings. To "86-it" meant to simply vanish from a "dining" establishment. It's not hard to imagine how that evolved to mean "take a special off the menu", or any of the other interpretations it's given today.
-David G. Imber (imberATmaniform.com)

You missed the ideogram here. I think the origin of the phrase comes from the way the numbers look. The 8 is kicking the 6 out of a bar.
-Bill Wargo (bwargoATvdh.state.vt.us)

I have heard that the origin of this term "eighty-sixed" was referring to the standard height of a door frame. In other words to be thrown out the door, you are 86'ed.
-Leslie Zenz (lzenzATagr.wa.gov)

The term 86 or 86'd has its origins in NYC, where people committed suicide by jumping from the observation deck of The Empire State Building on the 86th floor before a safety fence was installed.
-Billy Rene (billyrene7ATaol.com)

I heard this term came from a shaving powder (Old Eighty-six) from the wild west days. Just a pinch in the rambunctious cowboy's drink would have him heading for the outhouse and out of the saloon.
-Edwin J. Martz (beauregaardhooliganATnetzero.net)

As an apprentice filmmaker I learned to use transparent light filters to change the quality or colour of the image that I was filming. These filters are categorized by number, the highest number being an 85 filter. The mythical 86 filter would be totally opaque, not letting through any light at all. Hence, I learned, the origin of the verb 86, to get rid of something in the way an 86 filter would completely delete any image in front of the camera from striking the film.
-Fred Harris (fred.harrisATutoronto.ca)

While working as a waitress, I was told that "86" referred to the number of ladles it took to empty an army pot of soup. After 86 servings, the pot was empty.
-Amy LaPrade (amy.lapradeATpiperrudnick.com)

The United States military has what is called the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Article 86 of the UCMJ is Absence Without Leave. (commonly called AWOL).
-Richard Jefferson, U.S. Navy Seabees [Retired] (rjeffersATsrrc.ars.usda.gov)

I heard that this expression originated in New York City back in the days when there was a saloon on every street corner and elevated trains ran along the lengths of the major avenues. One of the lines terminated at 86th Street, at which point the conductors would eject the drunks who had fallen asleep on the train. Sometimes the drunks were belligerent. The conductors took to referring to them as "86's."
-Tom Fedorek (tom.fedorekATcitigategis.com)

It is a holdover from journalism days when news was delivered over the teletype. To expedite the process, sometimes coded numbers were sent for common phrases and actions. For example, when a story was complete, the number "30" was sent. To this day, copy editors in newspapers still use the number 30 at the bottom center of the last page of a story. Also, (I've been told), when an item was sent in error or to be discarded, the number "86" was used.
-Mark Gadbois (mgadboisAThotmail.com)

I had thought that this term had been derived from military shorthand and referred to the phone dial (when it had letters on it). The T for Throw is on the 8 key and the O for Out is on the 6 key - hence something tossed is 86'd.
-Curtis S Morgan (morgan.csATmellon.com)

I was always under the impression that the expression was nautical. Something like "86 leagues or feet", with the idea that putting something that deep down in the ocean was discarding it.
-Teresa Bergfeld (bergfeldATagctbb.org)

So far my working hypothesis was, that maybe it started as a misunderstanding and derives from "deep six" as in buried six feet under ground, i.e. dead.
-Ronald C.F. Antony (rcfaATcubiculum.com)

I believe this originated during the Korean war. "Eighty-six" refers to the jet fighter North American F-86 Saber. Whenever an F-86 shot down a airplane during a dogfight it had been "eighty-sixed".
-Sandy Megas (arrmegasATprodigy.net)

I read several years ago that "86" refers to the standard depth of a grave in the U.S.: 7 feet, 2 inches; thus to "eighty-six" something is to "bury it".
-Doris Ivie (divieATpstcc.edu)

Folk lore has it that local code #86 in New York makes it illegal for bar keepers to serve drunken patrons. The bartender says to such a patron, "You're eighty sixed", and thus we get this phrase.
-Tudi Baskay (tudibaskayATaol.com)

I am a career restaurant worker and the story I heard about the origin of the term "86'd" started with the 86th precinct of the NY police dept. It seems that when officers in other precincts fell out of favor with their superiors the threat of being sent to the rough and overworked 86th was enough to make them tow the line. It was in conversation at the local restaurant among the officers that the wait staff began to pick it up and cycled to other restaurants and other industries.
-Shawn Chriest (climbers07ATaol.com)

In the electrical industry devices have numbers -- a 27 is an undervoltage relay, 43 is a selector switch, etc. -- and an 86 is a trip and lockout device. An 86 operation means the affected piece of equipment is "locked out."
-Lane Dexter (madison_6AThotmail.com)

I recall a Johnny Hart B.C. comic strip a few years back that made an interesting observation on the name of the "abortion pill" RU-486. The folks at Roussel Uclef (the "RU") will tell you that the name/number was just one more in a series of compounds, etc. Mr. Hart however dissected "RU-486" into a darkly appropriate phrase: "Are you for 'eighty-sixing' the kid?"
Peter Gravely (pgravelyATsnyderpaper.com)

From: Daniel Utevsky (daniel.utevskyATcomcast.net)
Subject: numerics

Don't forget the biggest numeric term of all - 9/11.

See, for example, yesterday's Doonesbury cartoon.

From: Bruce Sloane (sloaneATcrosslink.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--sixty-four dollar question

Of course the latest numerical term to become a word is 9/11. I think that 20 years from now (after the term has softened and lost some of its current sharp emotional impact) it will become generic to indicate a mishap or disaster. ("That chem final was a 9-11 for me.")

From: Don H. Meredith (dmeredithATcompusmart.ab.ca)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--sixty-four dollar question

Interesting about the $64 quiz show, which was before my time. However, I do remember the very popular TV show in the U.S. during the 1950s, The $64,000 Question, which was based on the radio show. As I remember the show, the first question was the $64 dollar one, and the contestants then worked their way up to the top prize, $64,000 -- a lot of money in those days.

I've often heard people say "that's the $64 question," thinking that they really meant "$64,000" question; but now I understand why they said what they did.

From: Dale Roberts (drobertsATcasarino.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--sixty-four dollar question

One slang term you might consider this week is the word "bagel" used as a verb. In sports and other games, when one player or team defeats the other without the other scoring a single point, they are said to have "bageled" their opponent. This is due to the bagel's resemblance to a zero. I have often wondered why "bagel" became the accepted term for this, when one would think any everyday object resembling a zero would be equally applicable. Donut? Cheerio? Froot Loop?

From: Holly Ong (hongATlevi.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--sixty-four dollar question

The number 501 to many people mean Levi's(R) jeans. It's also one of the few numbers that have a trademark.

From: John F. Beerman (bdbeermanATaol.com)
Subject: 180 Degree turnaround

Unfortunately, (but inevitably) we as often hear about people doing a 360 degree turnaround. Perhaps they are so confused that they are simply going around in circles. Incidentally, speaking of 360 degrees, one of the cleverer brand names in the aerospace business, was dreamed up during the 1960s. IBM had recently named its revolutionary new 360 computer system based on the idea that it was to be "all things for all people". When they soon after marketed an airborne version of the same computer architecture, as it was intended to go into the air, that is, the third dimension, they created the perfect name. They nicknamed it the 4-Pi computer, based on the mathematical fact that there are 4 x Pi Steradians (the unit of solid angles in a 3-dimensional volume) in a sphere.

From: Mimi (djknightATairmail.net)
Subject: Here's the 411 on that.

The kids also say "411" if they give you the low down on something as in, "Oh really. You think so? Well, here's the 411 on what's really going on." Gotta' love it!

From: Sonja Dalglish (dalglishATgvtc.com)
Subject: numbers

Thinking about numbers in speech, what about the CB radio operators: 10/4 good buddy, meaning an acknowledgment of the message, and perhaps a sign off (over and out).

I believe that "30" was the way that reporters used to say 'the end' on their writings. It may have also been used by telegraphers as the ending of a message.

From: Marty Lichtman (lichtmanATstanford.edu)
Subject: 404

I recall an advertisement for the soundtrack to the movie "Johnny Mnemonic" which used "404". It warned those who might not buy the soundtrack: "Don't get caught in the 404." I suppose they meant that one would be "missing" out on something by not buying the record.

From: David Henry (dh56ATmts.net)
Subject: Re: 404

A variation on 404 is 'gone to Atlanta'. Think area code.

From: Sean McLellan (sean.mclellanATscisys.co.uk)
Subject: 101

I just thought that you'd be interested to know that here in the UK I've heard '101' or 'room 101' used in sentences to refer to somebody's deepest fears or dislikes. This comes from room 101 in George Orwell's '1984' where people were tortured with their deepest fears. There's even a show on tv 'Room 101' where celebrities describe pet hates and fears to the host and the audience who then decide whether it can be consigned to room 101 or not.

From: Dushyant (indi_pendentATrediffmail.com)
Subject: 73's

One more number which has made it to a select group is 73's. This is generally the parting "bye" flung out by HAM radio operators but other variations may exist. I have early remembrances of this word as both my mom and dad are long-time HAMs. Usually whole nights were spent just HAMing around. So I always waited for the 73's to be said before going to sleep.

From: Hirak Parikh (nonsufficitorbisATyahoo.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--catch-22


From: Anoop Bhat (soundmeisterATyahoo.com)
Subject: The magic of numbers!

Funny how numbers can evoke so much passion! I have clients from Nigeria who refuse to stay on the 4th floor of hotels, fearing they may be allocated 419. 419, of course, being synonymous with the typically Nigerian scam of somebody introducing himself as the lawyer/assistant to a deposed dictator requesting to transfer millions of illegal dollars into your account for a fee.

Also odd how 419 is oh so close to the Hindi 420 ("chaar sau bees"), derived from Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code which covers cheating. So a 420 is a cheat/petty criminal/ your basic lowlife!

From: Mary L. Wyatt (mlwyattATumd.umich.edu)
Subject: Re: AWADmail Issue 89

You wrote: "I wonder if we have any AWAD reader with age in triple digits."

Any adolescent will confirm this for you: My children like to point out that they are not 11 and 13, but 11.5 and 13.5. Does that count for triple digits?

From: Jessica Fischer (kenATactcom.co.il)
Subject: not yet 100!

I have a 94+ year-old friend who delights in many of the gems I print out for her from Wordsmith. She has macular degeneration so I print everything BIG and BOLD for her! Many thanks for keeping her so interested in the English language!


Other Issues:


Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2015 Wordsmith