<P> When used as a verb, eighty - six, eighty - sixed, 86, 86ed, or 86'd is American English slang for getting rid of something, ejecting someone, or refusing service . </P> <P> According to Merriam - Webster's Dictionary, "86" is a slang term that is used in the American popular culture as a transitive verb to mean throw out or get rid of, particularly in the food service industry as a term to describe an item no longer available on the menu, or to refuse service to a customer . The Merriam Webster dictionary suggests the term may be associated with the word "nix" ("no" or a more general prohibition). </P> <P> Several possible origins of the term 86 have been suggested, all dated before the 1950s . </P> <Ul> <Li> United States Navy decommissioning: One possible origin is from the U.S. Navy's Allowance Type (AT) coding system used for logistics . The allowance type code is a single digit that identifies the reason that materiel is being carried in stock . Throughout the life - cycle of a warship, many pieces of equipment are upgraded or replaced, requiring onboard spare parts to be disposed of, and the code is AT - 6 for parts designated for disposal . Following World War II, there were a great number of warships being decommissioned, sold, scrapped, or deactivated and placed in reserve (commonly referred to as "mothballed"). During this process, labor workers would bring up spare parts from the storerooms and the supply clerk would tell them the AT code . Anything to be disposed of was referred to as AT - 6--which sounds like "86". </Li> </Ul>

Where does the saying 86 it come from