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.”

Trump administration officials claim former FBI chief James Comey called for violence against the president — which Comey has pushed back on.

James Comey’s controversial, now-deleted Instagram photo of seashells spelling out the numbers “86 47” only adds to a long list of social media posts from the former FBI director that have sparked a mix of both anger and — more often — a heavy dose of eye rolls.

Trump and top officials in his administration are suggesting Comey should be imprisoned for a phrase that has frequently been used innocuously in politics in recent years.

FBI head James Comey is getting lambasted online after he shared a post on social media that many are taking as a "hit" on President Donald Trump's life.

So, when former FBI director James Comey — a crime novelist these days — posted a photo on social media of shells spelling out “86 47” on a beach, he apparently was directing a message to “86″ the 47th president of the United States — Donald Trump.