The Merriam-Webster dictionary traces “86” to “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.”

The slang term at the center of a political firestorm around former FBI Director James Comey likely originated as food-service-industry jargon before extending to other uses.

One of two brothers who became social media sensations thanks to their online baiting of President Donald Trump found out it went too far yesterday after echoing a veiled threat against the president.

Which brings us to May 15, 2025, when — like an empty-headed, attention-seeking 13 year old — former FBI Director James Comey posted a photograph on Instagram showing seashells arranged on the beach to form the numbers “8647.

Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier that he would defer to Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether Comey should be investigated after posting seashells arranged with the message “8647.” However, Trump appeared to have changed his tune as he unleashed an unhinged stream of attacks against Comey Sunday morning on Truth Social.

Comey removed and apologized for the post, which depicted a seashell message on a beach that spelled out “86 47,” saying he did not know people “associate those numbers with violence.”

MAGA raged against Comey over an Instagram post reading “86 47” – but the record the cryptic message goes way back, and Trump supporters used it too.