86

Posted by Adieu on April 20, 2000

In Reply to: 86 posted by Bruce Harris Bentzman on April 20, 2000

: In SHU's list of phrases, I find the following explanation for "86":
: >
: An alternative possibility for the source of this phrase, as I have had it, is that '86 is the year they ran out of gold in California. '49, as in forty-niner, is the year gold was discovered in California.

Are we to be treated to yet further extraction from the archives and resubmission to the active forum or is this a one off. If it is a one off what is the point or purpose of its resubmission? Is the submitter questioning the original explanation or has he/she got a deeper and darker purpose? We need to know.

I can offer other numbers which have great meaning to many, e.g. 1642 Isaac Newton's birthday, 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, 1815 Battle of Waterloo, 1884 my great grandfather was born on 29th September of that year, 1690 battle of the Boyne which compounded the Irish problem, 1776 Independence for the good old USA, 1940 Battle of Britain. The list is endless and, more to the point, pointless.

Adieu