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1) Where did the experssion "86" (i.e. 86 the caffeine, you're freakin me out.) come from? Sounds cool but I don't know why 86 means to get rid off.
2) What do Chops in this expression: Bustin your chops mean? I think of pork chops for some odd reason.
3) When you say the phrase, Go to Town: ("You need reading material? Here's our Company newsletter. Go to town.") Is it generally said as a sarcasm or can you wish someone well with it?
4) "What if you were takin the test and you were being Hit Up for answers by your best friend..." Does Hit Up have a bit of coercion to it than simply asking?
5) If a foreigner is having trouble constructing basic sentences in English, can you use the term: "He couldn't get in any word edgewise?"
6) Boy that Kelly, She's good people huh? It's my first time to hear this. I guess, by context, it means, She's great. Is there any reason how this expression came about?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

1-- 'Perhaps after Chumley's bar and restaurant at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, New York City.'
2-- Possibly: ' "jaws, sides of the face," 1505, variant of chaps, of unknown origin.' Other theories no doubt exist.

3-- It is neutral.
4-- No.
5-- No; the idiom refers to a situation in which the other interlocutor is speaking non-stop.
6-- It looks straightforward to me: good people = nice, kind, considerate, helpful people.

Curiouscat · Answer

6-- It just made me stop and think, since a plural association is made to a singular subject.

Mister Micawber · Answer

That's because it's slang.

Curiouscat · Answer

I see why it's used loosely. thanks for the clarification.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi I'm a native American English speaker, from the Mid-South. I hope I can help clear things up for you:

1 -- "to 86 something" is a phrase that comes from waitstaff in a restaurant, particularly diners. When you wait tables, you use a sort of code that's unique to the industry, for example "a deadeye" refers to a poached egg, etc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diner_lingo). Most of these phrases don't really go too far outside of the restaurants and people who work/have worked there, but "86" has achieved mainstream usage. I can't say whether its origins trace back to Chumley's, but agree that its usage sprang up in the restaurant industry.

2 -- "Busting one's chops," to my knowledge, refers to picking on/teasing someone. When used in reference to a person, "chops" refers to the jaws -- particularly the jawbone. For example, "muttonchops" refers to a 19th century sideburns style (google a photo of President Chester A. Arthur) that featured long, heavy facial hair on the sides of the jawbones. As I understand it, this particular phrase references hitting someone in the jawbone (and may have its origins in boxing) as an analogy for picking on/teasing him or her. While "chops" may have originally been "chaps," "chap" is now used to refer to leather outerwear used by ranchers to prevent chaffing or to a man ("chap" is similar to "fellow" in this reference because, while people will understand what you're saying, the reference is a little old-fashioned and is often used jokingly or to affect a British accent.)

3 -- It depends on the usage and tone. To define an idiom with idioms, "go to town" is similar to saying "take something and run with it" or to "go crazy." It's acceptable in most situations, however, I would be careful of how I used it in formal settings. It's not rude, just a little "slangy" (my own word, not a recognized expression, haha).

4 -- In terms of physical coercion, no, it doesn't indicate that. It does, however, imply some emotional coercion or unwanted attention. If you asked me for answers given out in a lecture, I would use the word "asked," while if you asked me for answers to a test, I would say you were "bugging" me or "hitting me up for answers," i.e. bothering me and making me feel guilty about not helping a friend.

5 -- No. That phrase generally refers to a situation where one person talks so much no one else can get an opportunity to speak. I think the phrase you may be looking for is "butchering the language," which refers to mangling a language. Don't, however, use this phrase without consideration. It's a little harsh if used with the wrong tone. It's fine to use in a self-deprecating, joking or teasing manner but would hurt someone's feelings if he or she were sensitive about their English-speaking abilities.

6 -- You're correct, in context "he's/she's good people" does mean that a person is great and someone you would be/are happy to have as a friend. I think (although I'm not sure) that this may have had its origins in saying that someone comes from a good family. Traditionally, many people would assume that if you came from a family that they respected or liked you would also be good or likable. I've also heard this phrase used to describe an entire family, as in "those Jones are good people," although the usage you mentioned seems to be more common now.

Anonymous · Answer

There's 86mg of caffeine in a standard cup of coffee.
So you're emphasizing " 86 the caffeine"

Khoff · Answer

AnonymousThere's 86mg of caffeine in a standard cup of coffee.

I can't imagine that this has anything to do with the expression.

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