To ‘86’ occasionally means to kill but usually doesn’t: A linguistic investigation into the Instagram threat charge against James Comey
Linguistic evidence suggests the slang term usually means discard or eject, not kill, as prosecutors argue the post threatened President Trump.
- In April 2026, a federal grand jury charged FBI Director James Comey with making a threat against President Donald Trump, stemming from an Instagram post of 38 seashells arranged as the numerals 86 and 47 on a North Carolina beach.
- Prosecutors allege the post was a 'serious expression of an intent to do harm' to President Donald Trump, contrasting the message with the 1984 arrest of David Hoffman for threatening President Ronald Reagan.
- Linguistic studies across five major dictionaries suggest 86 typically means to discard or eject rather than kill; in a random sample of 100 cases, 20% conveyed removal.
- Linguists note that crimes involving communication are 'speech acts,' utterances performing the action they name; without clear linguistic symbols, interpreting Comey's message remains central to evaluating criminal intent.
- Previous uses of 86 regarding political figures like Obama indicate the term often means voting someone out of office, suggesting Comey's post may reflect political opinion rather than intent to commit violence.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Trump admin indictment of Comey falls apart under linguistic analysis
A federal grand jury in April 2026 charged James Comey with making a threat against President Donald Trump and transmitting a crime across state lines.The charges came after Comey, the former FBI director, posted an image of seashells on a North Carolina beach, arranged in the form of the numerals “86” and “47.” Forty-seven was an ostensible reference to Trump, the 47th U.S. president, and 86 to a colloquial expression conveying a sense of “gett…
The Conversation
To ‘86’ occasionally means to kill but usually doesn’t: A linguistic investigation into the Instagram threat charge against James Comey
A federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey in April 2026 over a social media photo of seashells. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesA federal grand jury in April 2026 charged James Comey with making a threat against President Donald Trump and transmitting a crime across state lines. The charges came after Comey, the former FBI director, posted an image of seashells on a North Carolina beach, arranged in the form of the num…
To ‘86’ from time to time way to kill however normally doesn’t: A linguistic investigation into the Instagram danger fee towards James Comey
A federal grand jury in April 2026 charged James Comey with creating a danger towards President Donald Trump and transmitting against the law throughout state traces. The costs got here after Comey, the previous FBI director, posted a picture of seashells on a North Carolina seashore, organized within the type of the numerals “86” and “47.” 40-seven used to be an ostensible connection with Trump, the forty seventh U.S. president, and 86 to a col…
To ‘86’ occasionally means to kill but usually doesn’t: A linguistic investigation into the Instagram threat charge against James Comey
by Phillip M. Carter, Florida International University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] A federal grand jury in April 2026 charged James Comey with making a threat against President Donald Trump and transmitting a crime across state lines. The charges came after Comey, the former FBI director, posted an image of seashells on a North Carolina beach, arranged in the form of the numerals “86” and “47.”…
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