Where did the term '86' come from?

[IBhacknU]

Surely someone has a better explanation than this. Mods?

From Merriam-Webster's
Etymology: probably rhyming slang for 'nix'
Date: 1959
slang : to refuse to serve (a customer)

 

[Russ]

I should know the answer to that one. I have a lot of experience in that area.

Russ, NCNE

 

[compuwiz1]

I'm not positive, but I believe it was a legal article number in the armed forces...something like an article 86, where one is given the boot.....cast away in disgrace. ????? I think....

 

[IBhacknU]

etech posted this earlier in another thread:

I believe 86 was a nautical term refering to deep water. To 86 something was to throw it overboard when the ship was in deep water where the item could not be recovered.

First I ever heard it was in the restaurant biz in 1985. When we were out of something, it was '86'. Being young at the time, I thought it had something to do with 1986. Wrong.

 

[kranky]

wiz is thinking of "section 8".

My favorite place for looking up weird things is straightdope.com, and in fact they have a article about the origin of "86" right here.

 

[perry]

I always heard it came from back in the cowboy days. A cowboy would get sloshed at a bar and the bartender would only server him 86 proof whiskey to help keep him a bit more sober... When the guy was so hammered, he'd be 86d...