“81” or “Eighty-one” (a glass of water)
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20 October 1921, San Antonio (TX) Evening News, “Dr. Socrates Cicero Jones…,” pg. 14, col. 4:
81, a glass of water.
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27 June 1926, The Morning Examiner (Bartlesville, OK), “Language of ‘Soda Jerker’ Unique; Purpose Brevity,” pg. 16, col. 4:
“80” Means Glass of Water
One term that is universally used is “80.” Go into any soda fountain in the country and merely say “81” and you will get a glass of water. “82,” two glasses of water, etc. But don’t make this mistake in some places. You want six glasses of water. Don’t say “86.” Say “85-81.” “86” is one of the terms used in cafes and in some fountains. It means “cut.” If a waiter wants to cancel an order, he says “86.”
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21 June 1925, Miami (FL) Herald, “Skeeters Have Code” by Guy S. Cunliffe, pg. 1-C, col. 7:
A glass of water is known as “81,” two glasses of water as “82,” and so on. The “eighty” part of it comes from a slurring of H2O, one.
(It is claimed that the soda fountain lingo originated in Miami, Florida, at Spier’s on Flagler Street, in 1915.—ed.)
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30 June 1929, The Morning Examiner (Bartlesville, OK), “Soda Jerker Coins Words,” pg. 11, col. 5:
“Eighty-one” gets one glass of water, while “82” produces two, and so on.
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25 May 1934, Daily News (New York, NY), “Mainly About Manhattan” by John Chapman, pg. 60, col. 3:
Add soda squirt slang, from Tommy McCord.—One limey,,,a toasted English muffin. Hold the hail...no ice. Eighty-four...a customer who tips. Eighty-six... one who doesn’t…Fifty-one...hot chocolate. Eighty-one...a glass of water. Freeze one...frosted chocolate.
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29 March 1936, Helena (MT) Daily Independent, “National Youth Administration Compiles Lexicon of the Soda Jerker After Five Months Work” by Helen Dallas, pg. 2, col. 7:
“Eighty-one” for water, “forty-one” for orangeade and “thirteen” to indicate that one of the “big bosses” was drifting around were taken as examples.
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26 October 1937, Stuart (FL) Daily News, “Ye Editor’s Easy Chair,” pg. 2, col. 1:
“Eighty-one.” (One glass water).
10 July 1938, Galveston (TX) Daily News, pg. 4, col. 7:
Car-Hop Jargon Complicated, but
If Mastered Is Never Forgotten
And Makes Taking Orders Simple
(...)
“Eighty”—a glass of water. Add one for each additional glass. However, “eighty-six” shouted by the man or girl behind the fountain (Col. 8—ed.) usually means, “We’re out of that. Try something else.” In some places, “eighty-nine” means that an attractive girl has entered the place, and all accordingly turn to look at her.
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8 April 1939, Sheboygan (WI) Press, “What Is Your Number?,” pg. 14, col. 2:
81—Oftenest heard. It is sung out as you sit down, and is followed by a glass of water slid in front of you. It means “customer”, hence glass of water. 82—Two customers.
16 April 1940, Paris (TX) News, “Drug Store Slang Makes Etymologists Blush,” pg. 8, cols. 2-3:
If you just want a glass of water, “80” is what the soda jerker will call out. The number of glasses of water ordered is signified by the number added to 80—in other words, 82 means two glasses of water, 83 means three glasses of water, and so on. The number 86, however, means “we don’t have any,” and 89 means an attractive girl is coming in.
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10 August 1941, Atlanta (GA) Constitution, “The Code that Speeds Soda Fountain Service” by Yolande Gwin, Magazine, sec. D, pg. 5, col. 7:
At one counter, which doctors frequent at all hours, water is “80,” but if more than one glass is o order for the table or the counter, it is “81, 82, or 83” as the number is needed.
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10 June 1951, Miami (FL) Sunday News, “A Language of Their Own” by Harvey Keeler, Magazine sec., pg. 5, cols. 1-2:
Numbers from 81 to 85 produce glasses of water numbering from one to five. Eighty-six means there is no more of a particular item. Why these numbers are used no one seems to know, but it is generally agreed that the custom started in New York city.
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27 September 1981, The Herald Statesman (Yonkers, NY), “Counterwailing” by Dan Carlinsky, Suburdia Today, pg. 18, col. 4:
81. Glass of water. (82 = two glasses of water, etc.) Also used by customers to demand service (i.e., “The least you could do is give me a glass of water!”)
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10 July 1985, The Times-Mail (Bedford, IN), “Soda jerk unique on American scene” by Ink Mendelsohn, pg. 5, col. 4:
EIGHTY-ONE—glass of water
EIGHTY-SEVEN AND A HALF—attractive female
EIGHTY-SIX—out of the item ordered
EIGHTY-TWO—two glasses of water
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29 November 1997, Pueblo (CO) Chieftain, “Word Mysteries” by Chris Woodka, pg. 5A, col. 4:
80 or 81—Glass of water, with 82 being two glasses, 83 three glasses, etc. What would you say for six glasses of water? Certainly not “86.”