How did the number eighty-six come to mean that something is no longer available?

tjoebigham

'Eighty-six' also means to eject a customer in diner slang and came from its rhyming with 'nix', so it also meant they were out of something. Aug 31 02, 9:54 AM

J

Food History EIGHTY SIX (86) For those not familiar with the expression, to %91eighty-six' something in a restaurant is to indicate you are out of that item. Check it out at http://www.foodreference.com/html/art86.html There are many stories of the origin of this expression. Here are a few of them. #1 and #2 seem more likely to me, but who knows! 1) Chumley's, a bar in Greenwich Village, which during speakeasy days through unruly customers out the back door, which is number 86 Bedford Street - they were '86'd.' 2) Same bar, Chumley's same time period - the front door address was 86 Worth Street and there was a chalk board inside the front door with the address painted across the top - the chalkboard was were items that had been sold out were posted - it soon became known as the '86' board. Aug 31 02, 10:32 AM