phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Ru486

Posted by Steve E on July 06, 2005

In Reply to: Ru486 posted by Bob on July 03, 2005

: : I just wanted to drop a line about the phrase "86ed" it is a police code for homicide and is also found in the patent for the day-after-pill (not to be controvercial, but it is truthfully called) ru486.

: We had to hesitate before posting this "question," but went ahead in the spirit of open discourse. No, Angela, 86 is not a police term for homicide. That's a little fib somebody made up to create a rumor about the naming of RU-486. To make a political point ("see? It's a conspiracy of murderers pushing this pill!") some people are willing to distort the facts, and hope it gets repeated.

The phrase '86' was used as part of restaurant 'lingo' when I was growing up. When the cook ran out of a particular item on the menu, he would inform the waitresses (as they were then called) to '86 the beef stew'--to mean it was no longer available. Other stuff was 'Adam and Eve on a Raft, Wreck 'Em' to mean scrambled eggs and toast.

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