1488 is basically like an escape room clue for racists. 

“14” is a nod to the “14 words,” the white supremacist slogan/pledge/morning affirmation “we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children," which is a real Voldemort-ass curse if I've ever heard one. It comes from a guy named David Lane, a former member of the white supremacist group ‘The Order’ (not to be confused with Netflix’s The Order with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which you also haven’t heard of – too much TV!). The phrase alludes to the White Genocide conspiracy theory – that if white supremacists don’t intervene, white people will be made extinct – usually as the result of various Jewish schemes like inter-racial marriage, feminism, immigration, and our personal favorite, turning whites gay. 

“88,” on the other hand, is code for “Heil Hitler,” because “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet and white supremacists are so clever. It's also the iconic jersey number given to great players on the Dallas Cowboys, which FEELS antisemitic, but probably isn't. Actually, someone should maybe look into that.

On the Internet, “14” and “88” become dog whistles when used in context that’s unrelated to their actual meaning.

Like if someone were to tweet “this BBQ sauce is 14.88% off” or “I need a place to stay for 14 weeks, my 88-year-old mom is renovating her basement, where I have lived my whole life."

“14” and “88” have also been employed by popular Twitter personalities and current presidential candidates (allegedly). When confronted about their usage, perpetrators will insist the accusers are crazy and that it’s just a coincidence. Which is kind of the whole point of dog whistles – they allow plausible deniability, like following a hot person on Twitter instead of Instagram, because then you can just say you only follow them because you think they are funny.

‍