New York (AP) – Slang Terminology At the center of political controversy surrounding former FBI director James Comey has roots that might trace back to service industry jargon before making its way into broader use. This shift has fueled claims from Republicans that it was intended as a threat to President Donald Trump.
In a later deleted Instagram post, Comey shared a photo of shells arranged in the shape of “86 47” with the caption “Cool Shell Formation on My Beach Walk.”
In a subsequent post, he clarified that he saw it as a political statement, noting that Trump is the 47th president and that “86” could suggest removing something undesirable, like an unruly patron in a bar.
However, Trump and other Republicans interpreted this more seriously, arguing that Comey was endorsing violence against the Republican president, as the slang term is sometimes associated with taking lethal action.
Originating in restaurants nearly a century ago
Jesse Shaydrawer, an associate professor of the writing program at Columbia University and a former editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, points to the code used in diners since the 1930s as a possible origin.
This initial meaning indicated that a menu item was no longer available. Over time, he noted, its applications expanded.
“The original implication is that something is off-item, but many variations have arisen,” he explained. “86 indicates something that is no longer available or shouldn’t be present, much like an unwanted customer. It’s become a verb meaning to throw someone out. These semantic shifts are clear evolutions of the term’s original context.”
He mentioned that some use the term in a whimsical sense to indicate killing, akin to a narrative in a particular fictional story, though this usage has not gained widespread traction. It can also imply discarding something no longer deemed useful—the satirical definition in the classic TV show “Get Smart” referred to its main character, Agent 86.
The definition found in Merriam-Webster, a dictionary referenced by the Associated Press, encompasses meanings such as “to throw away,” “to reject service,” or “to deny service.” While it acknowledges the use of “86” to imply killing, it notes that this connotation has not been widely adopted or recorded due to its recent emergence.
Nonetheless, Trump and his team have contended that Comey’s initial post was indeed a targeted message.
“He knew exactly what it meant,” Trump remarked during an interview with Fox News on Friday. “Even a child understands its implications. If you’re the FBI director and are unaware of its significance, it implies assassination, and it’s clearly evident.”
Usage leads to federal inquiries
Trump’s administration is currently under investigation.
On social media, Comey stated, “I shared some photos of shells I encountered during a beach walk. I viewed this as a political statement and didn’t connect those numbers to violence.”
The dynamic between Trump and Comey has been fraught for years, with Trump dismissing Comey as FBI director in 2017, early in his presidency. In 2018, Comey accused Trump of being unethical and “disconnected from the truth.”
Such slang variations often lead to this kind of unease. Not surprisingly, given our current era, commented Nicole Holiday, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.
“We exist in a politically divided culture, making it akin to a Rorschach test,” she observed. “We are particularly attuned to indicators of group affiliation or ostracization.”
Language poses its challenges, as meanings can shift based on context, culture, and other variances. “We continuously navigate this issue. What I meant by this word was X, but you interpreted it as Y,” she articulated.
This navigation proves difficult in face-to-face interactions, as taking dialogue online amplifies these challenges.
“In-person conversations allow for mutual understanding,” she noted. “But in online posts… there’s no room for negotiation. This is why people feel compelled to clarify in comments.”
“We won’t effectively communicate about significant issues this way,” she concluded. “It’s simply unfeasible.”
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Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com