The short version: “86” means to get rid of, cancel, or say an item (or person) is no longer available, but its exact origin is not definitively known.

Below is the “Quick Scoop” with the main theories people, historians, and restaurant folks talk about.

Where Did the Term “86” Come From?

What “86” Means Today

In modern American slang, especially in restaurants and bars, “86” means :

  • An item is sold out: “We’re 86 on fries.”
  • A person is cut off or banned: “He’s been 86’d from the bar.”

The term shows up in print by at least the 1940s, and it was probably being used in speech a bit earlier, around the 1920s–1930s.

The Main Origin Theories (None Proven)

Most etymologists agree: there’s no single proven origin story , just several plausible (and fun) ones.

1. Soda-fountain / restaurant code

One of the most cited theories connects “86” to old soda-fountain and diner slang :

  • Columnist Walter Winchell in 1933 described a soda‑jerk code where “86” meant “all out of it.”
  • Kitchen slang in the 1930s used “86” to mean an item was unavailable, which matches how restaurants still use it.

This is why many hospitality pros lean toward “it started as internal restaurant code.”

2. Rhyming slang with “nix”

Another classic idea:

  • “86” may come from rhyming slang for “nix” , which means to cancel or reject something.
  • “Eighty‑six” → sounds like “nix” → “cancel it / get rid of it.”

It’s tidy and fits the meaning , but there’s no smoking‑gun historical evidence.

3. Great Depression soup kitchens

A popular food‑world story says:

  • In soup kitchens during the Great Depression, a pot supposedly held 85 servings , so the 86th person was out of luck —they were “86’d.”

It’s colorful, but researchers haven’t found solid documentation; it’s treated more as a legend than confirmed fact.

4. Chumley’s bar at 86 Bedford Street (NYC)

This one ties “86” to a Prohibition‑era speakeasy :

  • Chumley’s, a famous bar, was at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village.
  • When police (“the heat”) showed up, staff supposedly told patrons to “86 it,” meaning leave via a hidden exit.

Again, great story, thin documentation—but it’s repeated a lot in bar lore.

5. Military and other fun theories

Writers have collected a whole grab bag of theories, including:

  • F‑86 fighter jets in the Korean War: to “86” something = shoot it down.
  • Delmonico’s restaurant : #86 on the menu was a popular steak that often sold out, so “86” = out of stock.
  • NYC transit or police precincts around 86th Street, associated with throwing drunks off trains or rough assignments.

These are entertaining, but language historians generally treat them as speculative.

How People Use “86” Online and in Forums

Modern restaurant workers, especially on forums like Reddit’s r/Serverlife , mostly use “86” practically:

  • To mark something sold out or a guest cut off.
  • When they discuss origins, you see the same mix of theories: soda‑jerk code, NYC bar address, soup‑kitchen story, and more, with everyone admitting it’s probably impossible to prove for sure.

You’ll also see “86” used more broadly in internet talk—“The devs 86’d that feature” or “They 86’d the project”—always meaning “removed / killed / cancelled.”

So, What’s the Most Likely Story?

Putting it all together:

  • Meaning is clear : “86” = get rid of, cut off, sold out, or banned.
  • Earliest solid use : slang in food and drink contexts in the early 1900s, written record by the 1930s–1940s.
  • Most plausible root (according to many language references and hospitality writers):
    • Restaurant / soda‑jerk code where “86” = all out / don’t serve
    • Possibly reinforced by rhyming with “nix.”

All the other stories—soup pots, fighter jets, speakeasies at 86 Bedford—are best read as fun origin myths rather than hard fact.

TL;DR:
No one can prove a single origin, but the strongest evidence points to 1930s soda‑fountain and restaurant slang where “86” was internal code for “all out / don’t serve,” which then spread into general American slang.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.