Speakeasy 86 Better

Let’s lift the velvet rope and step inside.

: According to local lore, during Prohibition, the term "86ing" someone (e.g., throwing them out or cutting them off) may have originated at Chumley’s speakeasy 86

At 3:55 AM, the lights flicker red. The bartender rings a brass bell and shouts: “The coppers are coming!” Everyone ducks under the tables for exactly ten seconds. Then the lights go full cyan, and a ghetto blaster plays the Ghostbusters theme at max volume. Last call is a party, not a funeral. Let’s lift the velvet rope and step inside

While the Chumley’s story is the most poetic, etymologists point to several other potential origins from the same era: the term "86ing" someone (e.g.