What does "86-47" mean?
Share
The term "86-47" moved through social media in a big way recently. I thought it was pretty clever, but quite a few people in MAGA took it as threatening violence towards Trump. Let's take a minute to look at this term and why the idea of violence is ridiculous.
Eighty-six is slang meaning "to throw out," "to get rid of," or "to refuse service to." It comes from 1930s soda-counter slang meaning that an item was sold out. There is varying anecdotal evidence about why the term eighty-six was used, but the most common theory is that it is rhyming slang for nix.
In the hospitality industry, it is used to indicate that an item is no longer available, traditionally from a food or drinks establishment, or referring to a person or people who are not welcome on the premises. Its etymology is unknown, but the term seems to have been coined in the 1920s or 1930s.
In modern slang, the term "86" has also been used as a way to say "kill" or "murder" someone. For example, to "86 that guy" would be the same as saying "kill that guy".
The number "47" refers to the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. He commonly uses the term "45-47" on his merchandise, which refers to his time as the 45th and now 47th President. This term is where the idea of 86-47 came from.
So what does "86-47" really mean?
Think about the people who are using this term. It's predominantly a term used by the "left", who are generally a non-violent people. I grew up hearing the term "bleeding heart liberals" a lot, referring to Democrats and the "left" as people who care about others to the point where they would even make a big deal out of a super small group of people suffering, etc. You can read more about the origin of the term here.
The vast majority of the people using this term are not calling for violence against the President. We are not the type of people who want to see that happen, nor do we believe any actual good would come from it. I'm not saying there aren't people out there who are using it that way, but there are extremists in every group and they don't represent the majority.
The reality is, 86-47 is just a clever way of saying that we don't want Trump as the president any longer, by using the same type of messaging that Trump uses for himself. It's a form of protest not a call for violence.