What's In A Word?

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Eighty Six

"Eighty Six" originated as waiter's slang for an item on the menu that is currently out of stock. The choice of the number has no known significance, except that it may be rhyming slang for "nix."

Documented: The expression "86" (to put the kibosh on), originated in 1920s diner slang.

References:

• The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition
• The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Vol. I