Teachers hate it. Most adults don't have a clue what it means. But if you've got a kid, you're likely hearing it all the time
Sergio Mendoza Hochmann
Every generation comes up with their own language that baffles the ones before it. Kids in the 1980s thought "tubular" was the height of cool. The early 2000s brought us "Chav." Ten years ago, kids broke out "Bussin." This year, "6-7" (pronounced six-seven, NOT sixty-seven) has taken the youth by storm.
What does it mean? Honestly, no one really seems to know, including the people saying it. But it's being said SO much that it has just been named the word of the year by Dictionary.com. And no, they're not sure about its meaning either.
"If you’re the parent of a school-aged child, you might be feeling a familiar vexation at the sight of these two formerly innocuous numerals," the site wrote in making its announcement. "If you’re a member of Gen Alpha, however, maybe you’re smirking at the thought of adults once again struggling to make sense of your notoriously slippery slang. And if it’s a surprise to you that 67 [...] is somehow newsworthy, don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means."
The term seemingly originated from rapper Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (6 7),” where he repeatedly says “six-seven” in his lyrics. Searches for 6-7 began to spike in June and have been on the rise ever since, increasing six-fold.
In being named word of the year, 6-7 beat out some tough contenders, including Kiss Cam, Tariff, Tradwife, and (no kidding) the dynamite emoji, which has come to signify Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (TNT).
Admitting in its announcement that 6-7 is "impossible to define," which is part of its appeal, the site does its best to do so. Formally, Dictionary.com defines 6-7 as "a viral, ambiguous slang term that has waffled its way through Gen Alpha social media and school hallways. While the term is largely nonsensical, some argue it means 'so-so,' or 'maybe this, maybe that,' especially when paired with a hand gesture where both palms face up and move alternately up and down."
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