To be "86'd" means to be refused service, removed, or permanently banned — most commonly from a bar, restaurant, or club. If a bartender says you've been 86'd, you're not getting back in. Ever.
The term started behind the bar and spread outward. Today it shows up in restaurant kitchens (86 on the salmon = we're out of salmon), in military slang, in movies, and occasionally in politics — but its roots are in the hospitality industry, and that's where it means the most.
WHERE DOES "86'D" COME FROM?
Nobody agrees on a single origin, which is part of what makes it interesting. There are at least four credible theories, and the real answer is probably a combination of all of them reinforcing each other over decades.
THEORY 1 — THE SODA FOUNTAIN CODE
In the early 20th century, soda jerks used numeric shorthand to communicate across a busy counter. "86" meant "we're out of this item" — the item was cut off. From there, the code migrated to bars, where it was applied to people who needed to be cut off. This is the most widely cited etymology and tracks with how "86" still works in a modern kitchen.
THEORY 2 — CHUMLEY'S, 86 BEDFORD STREET
Chumley's was a Prohibition-era speakeasy in Greenwich Village. The address was 86 Bedford Street — and crucially, it had no sign. When a police raid was incoming, the bartender would shout "86 it!" to signal that everyone needed to vanish out the Bedford Street exit before the cops came through the front. Getting "86'd" literally meant going out the 86 door. Chumley's still exists. The legend may be too good to be entirely true, but it's a good one.
THEORY 3 — COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG
In Cockney rhyming slang, "eighty-six" rhymes with "nix" — meaning nothing, cancelled, done. British soldiers and sailors may have brought the usage to the U.S., where it blended with existing bar terminology. It's plausible as a reinforcing influence even if it wasn't the primary source.
THEORY 4 — MILITARY ORIGIN
In WWII-era military communication, Article 86 of the U.S. Army's Articles of War covered absence without leave — being removed from the rolls. "86'd" as a synonym for "removed" or "eliminated" may have traveled home with veterans and merged with existing bar slang after the war.
HOW IT'S USED IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS TODAY
In a working bar or restaurant kitchen, "86" has two distinct uses:
- 86 on an item: "We're out." The kitchen is out of the halibut. Cross it off the board. Guests get redirected.
- 86 on a person: "That person is no longer welcome here." Usually permanent. The bartender knows, the door staff knows, the manager knows. The customer's name may literally go on a list.
Being 86'd from a place is a distinction. You didn't just get asked to leave — plenty of people get asked to leave. You got banned. That takes effort. It means you did something memorable enough that the staff made a collective decision that you specifically should not return.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING ASKED TO LEAVE AND GETTING 86'D
Getting asked to leave means you had a bad night. Getting 86'd means you had a great story. The 86 is permanent. It implies a pattern, a spectacle, or a single incident so vivid that no one involved wanted to find out what would happen next time.
The best bars have 86 lists going back decades. Some are legendary. Certain names appear at multiple venues across the same city. That's not a problem — that's a reputation.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is being 86'd legally enforceable?
Yes. Private businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone, provided it's not based on a protected class (race, religion, sex, national origin, etc.). Being loud, aggressive, disruptive, or intoxicated are all valid grounds. Once you're 86'd, returning after being told not to can constitute trespassing.
Can you get un-86'd?
Rarely, and usually only with a direct apology to ownership and a significant passage of time. Some bartenders will negotiate. Most won't. The easiest path is to treat the 86 as permanent, pick a new bar, and wear the other one as a badge of honor.
What's the difference between "86'd" and "cut off"?
Being cut off means no more drinks tonight — come back tomorrow. Being 86'd means don't come back at all. Cut off is a warning. 86'd is a verdict.
Does "86" mean something different in the military or politics?
In some contexts yes — "86" has been used loosely to mean "eliminate" or "get rid of." But that usage is distinct from the bar and restaurant industry meaning, which specifically refers to banning a patron or running out of an item. The hospitality meaning is the original and most specific use of the term.
Why is it a badge of honor?
Because it takes a certain kind of person to make enough of an impression that a professional establishment decides the right call is to never let you back in. Most people go their entire lives without getting 86'd anywhere. If you have, you've lived a little louder than average. That's worth commemorating.