Etymology of "Eighty-Six"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

I think it's the most likely, mainly because there does seem
to be evidence that the code was in use, so even though the
reasons for it are murky and the reason why this one stuck
around and no others did is not clear, it's more plausible
than trying to blame everything on rhyming slang.

Jesse

On Fri, Nov 07, 2008 at 11:30:32AM -0500, Michael Adams wrote:
> You are correct, I was misreading -- distracted by one of those pesky students! But to pursue it another step, since we're on the topic, do you accept the diner code explanation, or is that a little murky, too? I have some evidence of it (besides Safire), but it's hard to know whether it also isn't folk etymology, the recirculation of a fancy urban legend.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Sent: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 11:08 am
> Subject: Re: Etymology of "Eighty-Six"
>
>
>
> No, you're misreading--I'm agreeing with Fred that the
> rhyming-slang explanation is unproven.
>
> Jesse
>
> On Fri, Nov 07, 2008 at 11:04:11AM -0500, Michael Adams wrote:
> > I've often wondered where evidence of this rhyming slang explanation is.
> Jesse, can you point us toward it? Or Jonathon Green, maybe, who identifies 86
> as rhyming slang in Cassell's. The alternative explanation, for which there is
> some evidence, is that 86 is part of New York soda counter/diner numerical
> jargon, where different menu items and other features of restaurant work and
> life were given numbers back in the day -- all of the lexical items from this
> set besides 86 have disappeared, but none of those reported is rhyming slang, so
> I wonder if the rhyming slang explanation isn't folk etymology.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Sent: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 9:51 am
> > Subject: Re: Etymology of "Eighty-Six"
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Nov 07, 2008 at 09:47:42AM -0500, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
> > > On another list serv there is discussion about the derivation of
> "eighty-six."
> > I posted that the rhyming-slang-from-"nix" derivation was unproven.  Am I
> > correct about this?
> > >
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> > Jesse Sheidlower
> > OED
> >
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> >
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>
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>
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