<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (August 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (August 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <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>

Where does the expression eighty six come from