# whats up with 86

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-86/75823
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 11, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-86/75823 "2001-08-11T18:22:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![buck1969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@buck1969](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buck1969)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-86/75823/1 "2001-08-11T18:22:52Z")

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a question for anyone with experience in restaurants. when an item is out of stock it is generally “86’d”. same deal with extras in gangster movies. " where’s Gino?" " the coppers 86’d him" why is 86 used here. and what about agent 86 on Get Smart? please help me with this frivolous yet annoying problem.

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### Author: ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-86/75823/2 "2001-08-11T18:38:43Z")

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[The Word Detective](http://www.word-detective.com/back-i2.html)’s musings.

[The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language](http://www.bartleby.com/61/7/E0060700.html)

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### Author: ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-86/75823/3 "2001-08-11T20:50:30Z")

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Don’t forget the master himself weighed in on this subject.

[Where does the term “86” come from?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_291b.html)