Meaning
86 means remove.
In mainstream use, 86 commonly means remove, eject, discard, discontinue, reject, refuse service, or get rid of.
Dictionary receipts + First Amendment firewall
A civic speech project from Brian and Edward Krassenstein.
They're Trying to Criminalize a Dictionary.
“86” has meant remove, throw out, get rid of, or refuse service for nearly a century. Now political actors are trying to rewrite slang in real time and turn protected political speech into a supposed threat.
Project 8647 condemns political violence, threats, harassment, and intimidation. We defend lawful political speech, voting, impeachment, resignation, peaceful protest, and constitutional removal from power.
86
remove
+
plus
47
Trump
=
equals
Remove Trump
lawfully
That is political speech.
Not a murder plot.
No violence.
No criminalizing dissent.
Pledge count
8,647
verb | slang
86
- 1. To throw out.
- 2. To get rid of.
- 3. To refuse service to.
- 4. To eject, dismiss, remove, cancel, or discard.
The burden is on the government to prove a true threat, not on citizens to surrender political slang because a politician dislikes the interpretation.
Context
47 means Trump.
8647 can naturally be read as remove the 47th president through lawful means: elections, impeachment, resignation, or political defeat.
Principle
Speech is not a threat.
Political speech does not become criminal because officials choose the most extreme possible interpretation of slang.
Receipt wall preview
Mainstream use is everywhere.
Receipt #0001
Restaurant item unavailable
“86 the burger.”
Meaning: Remove / unavailable / out of stock
Receipt #0002
Refuse service
“To refuse to serve a customer.”
Meaning: Refuse service
Receipt #0003
Eject or ban
“The club's bouncers eighty-sixed her.”
Meaning: Eject / ban / remove
Main page toolkit
Everything people need to understand, pledge, and share.
The full pages are still there, but the core menu content now lives here too: definitions, receipts, translator, quiz, legal firewall, gaslight ratings, timeline, pledge, and share tools.
Dictionary receipts
Receipt Wall
Browse mainstream, nonviolent uses of 86 across restaurants, workplaces, media, politics, and dictionaries.
Plain English
8647 Translator
Turn political shorthand into lawful language: remove through voting, impeachment, resignation, protest, or defeat.
Civic literacy
Threat or Speech Quiz
Practice spotting the line between protected political speech, true threats, incitement, and unclear context.
Legal anchor
First Amendment Firewall
Brandenburg, true threats, Watts, political hyperbole, and why context matters.
Media watchdog
Gaslight Meter
Rate claims that erase mainstream definitions or pretend all political slang is a criminal threat.
Narrative map
Timeline
Follow the word from soda-counter slang to the modern 8647 controversy.
Safety guide
Can I Say 8647?
Use lawful meaning, avoid violent imagery, and keep speech focused on constitutional removal.
Viral toolkit
Share Generator
Create graphics and copy that make the point fast: no violence, no threats, no criminalizing dissent.
Translator preview
86 47
Remove the 47th president through lawful constitutional means.
Translate your phraseTimeline preview
1930s
Soda-counter shorthand
86 appears in lunch-counter and restaurant slang for an item that is unavailable or sold out.
1950s-now
Verb goes mainstream
86 expands into general usage: refuse service, eject, remove, reject, discontinue, discard, or get rid of.
May 2025
Comey post controversy
James Comey posts shells arranged as 86 47, later says he viewed it as a political message and removed it after violent readings surfaced.
2025-2026
Reinterpretation wave
Trump allies frame the phrase as a direct threat while language sources continue documenting broader nonviolent meanings.
Share preview
86 = Remove. 47 = Trump. Political speech is not a threat.
Sign the Project8647 Pledge: http://Project8647.info
You cannot prosecute a dictionary.
Sign the Project8647 Pledge: http://Project8647.info
They are not interpreting language. They are weaponizing it.
Sign the Project8647 Pledge: http://Project8647.info
If 86 means murder, America has some very dangerous restaurants.
Sign the Project8647 Pledge: http://Project8647.info
Donate to Project 8647
Help Brian and Edward Krassenstein defend lawful dissent.
Support receipt-gathering, explainers, share tools, legal-source tracking, and rapid response graphics for Project 8647.
Donate to Project
Temporary MVP button opens email. Swap this href for Stripe, PayPal, ActBlue, or another live donation link when ready.
Merriam-Webster dictionary: eighty-sixLists refuse service, eject, dismiss, remove, reject, discontinue, and get rid of.Merriam-Webster wordplay: What does eighty-six mean?Explains 1930s soda-counter origins and mainstream slang usage.Cornell LII: Brandenburg testIncitement requires imminent lawless action and likelihood of producing it.Cornell LII: True threatsOnly true threats fall outside ordinary First Amendment protection.Oyez: Watts v. United StatesPolitical hyperbole is not automatically a true threat.Associated Press: 86 slang and Comey controversyReports the restaurant-slang history and political context.Reuters: Comey seashell prosecution analysisReuters report republished by Investing.com on legal experts' First Amendment concerns.