[Dixielandjazz] 86 & Chumley's

[Steve Barbone]

loerchen2 at aol.com wrote:
 
> Here's one theory of how the term came into use.? And you can probably?bet
> that Chumley's had a jazz band!
> 
> "Many years ago, Chumley's Restaurant, at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich
> Village, New York City, had a custom of throwing rowdy customers out the back
> door. During Prohibition, Chumley's was a speakeasy owned by Leland Stanford
> Chumley. When the cops were on the way, someone would shout "86," and they
> would all exit through the back door."

Chumley's is a very famous old NYC bar. Been there for 100 years more or
less. It is just two blocks or so from where Nick's was and became a
literary hangout during prohibition and afterwards. They did have jazz every
now and again, as did many of the bars in that area of Greenwich Village.

Back in the 1950s (last time I was there) it had photos and pictures of all
sorts of writers, artists, newspapermen, actors on the walls and was a neat
historical trip.

Hard to find as the entrance is through an alley and there was no number
sign there back then.

BTW "86" in New York slang also means "cut off", as in no more drinks for a
person, or no sex if your wife 86ed you etc. So if you got 86ed, you just
didn't get any more of what you'd been getting up to that point. Didn't
necessarily mean you were thrown out or denied access permanently. :-) VBG

Chumley's is probably still an attraction if you visit "The Village."

Cheers,
Steve Barbone