A peculiar new phrase is taking over classrooms across the United States, leaving teachers exasperated and students gleeful. “6-7,” pronounced “six-seveeeen,” is not a mathematics problem. It is, rather, the latest linguistic fad among Generation Alpha, an expression that seems to exist purely to unite peers in shared amusement.“It’s like a virus that has taken over these kids’ minds,” a seventh-grade science teacher in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, told CNN. “You can’t say any iteration of the numbers six or seven without at least fifteen students yelling, ‘6-7!’”This baffling chant is uniting students, and driving teachers up the wall. But, what does it even mean?
Where did “6-7” come from?
Despite the chaos it causes, “6-7” has no coherent meaning. Its origin is murky, though some trace it to a viral song, ‘Doot Doot (6 7),’ by Philadelphia rapper Skrilla, which references the 10-67 police code, typically used to report a death. The phrase also found new life through high school basketball phenom Taylen Kinney, who combined it with a gesture in TikTok videos that gained widespread attention. The trend has since spread to sports highlights, including clips featuring Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.
Meaninglessness as a social tool
A linguist explains CNN that the phrase’s ambiguity is precisely what gives it power. Over time, “6-7” has undergone what scholars call “semantic bleaching,” a process in which a term loses its original context and acquires a more symbolic or playful function. In this case, it is less about meaning and more about belonging.For students, shouting “6-7” signals membership in an “in” group. “Even if it’s a nonsense term, if they seem to know what it means, that can be a unifying force,” said a University of Cincinnati professor specialising in leadership communication, according to CNN. Those who remain unaware or refrain from using it are, in effect, on the outside.
Teachers fight back
The longevity of the trend may also owe itself to adult frustration. Teachers are reportedly banning it, yet the more authority figures object, the more appealing it becomes. A Michigan middle school choir teacher diffused the disruption by incorporating “6-7” into a warm-up chant alongside other popular expressions, effectively reclaiming classroom control. Another teacher at a South Dakota school described using the phrase intentionally in incorrect contexts to quickly end disruptions, saying, “The easiest way to kill it is for teachers to say that it’s cool,” CNN reports.
Not a sign of “Brainrot”
While parents might worry that incessant repetition of “6-7” signals declining literacy or critical thinking, experts suggest otherwise. Far from being “brainrot,” this playful engagement with language is part of a longstanding pattern: each generation develops its own lexicon, often leaving older observers perplexed.Perhaps tellingly, “6-7” is already showing signs of waning. Some students have begun eye-rolling at the phrase, while new contenders like “41” attempt to take its place. For now, however, it remains a minor irritant rather than a crisis, far less destructive than previous fads, some of which involved the iconic, “Skibidi Toilet,” and “Rizz.”
“6-7!”
In classrooms across the US, “6-7” has become more than a joke. It is now a bit of social currency, a playful experiment in communication, and a cheeky reminder that language changes faster than adults can keep up.
