The old slang term '86' probably started as restaurant-worker jargon. Now it's in the news

NEW YORK — The slang term at the center of a political brouhaha swirling around former FBI Director James Comey is an old one, likely originating as food-service-industry jargon before extending to other contexts. Some of that spread gave rise to accusations from Republicans that it was meant as a threat to President Donald Trump. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Comey wrote "cool shell formation on my beach walk" with a photo of shells displayed in the shapes of "86 47." He said in a fo