1930s | Merriam-Webster
Soda-counter shorthand
86 appears in lunch-counter and restaurant slang for an item that is unavailable or sold out.
Timeline
How a restaurant word became a political fight.
A fast-read narrative from soda-counter slang to the modern 8647 controversy.
1950s-now | Merriam-Webster
Verb goes mainstream
86 expands into general usage: refuse service, eject, remove, reject, discontinue, discard, or get rid of.
May 2025 | Associated Press
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 | AP / Merriam-Webster
Reinterpretation wave
Trump allies frame the phrase as a direct threat while language sources continue documenting broader nonviolent meanings.
2026 | Reuters / Cornell LII
First Amendment backlash
Legal analysts warn that charging symbolic political expression over 8647 creates serious true-threat and free-speech problems.