'6-7' meaning revealed as viral slang term is banned from classrooms

Gen Z slang has taken over the Internet and its more perplexing iterations have even landed themselves in the dictionary. However, there’s one phrase in particular that’s driving teachers mad.

An increasing number of educators are banning the use of the phrase “67” – which, while a seemingly innocuous number, has become the ultimate nonsensical in-joke among kids. It is often blurted out, either on its own, or as a chorus, with one person saying “six” and others responding “seven”, and is typically paired with an accompanying “juggling” hand gesture.

It has its origins in the song “Doot Doot (6 7)” by rapper Skrilla, which has been used frequently in viral videos and memes featuring NBA player LaMelo Ball, according to Miriam Webster.

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However, teachers say it’s becoming a serious distraction in classrooms, with some even having to introduce measures to curb its use – from deducting points from students who use the term to doling out essays to offenders.

Adria Laplander, a sixth-grade language arts teacher in Michigan, US, told Today.com: “I’ve been teaching for 20 years and I’ve dealt with all sorts of slang — nothing has driven me crazier than this one.”

Driven to new levels of frustration, Adria even made a TikTok video explaining her chosen punishment for students who so much as utter the word or perform the hand gesture. “We are not saying the words, ‘67’ anymore — if you do, you have to write a 67-word essay about...what the word ‘67’ means,” she said.

If a student says the word again, they will be met with another 67-word essay. Aria then warned that after the fifth offence “your essay is going to bop up to 670 words.”

She explained that writing essays serves as a mild punishment meant to re-establish classroom order. Although, she shared that some students still shout “67” outside her door to provoke reactions.

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But Adria is far from the only teacher to have spoken out about the effect that the phrase is having in classrooms. A high school teacher recently came onto her TikTok @gladdddys to declare that “67 is the bane of my existence and I’m not even kidding.”

She continued: “In my three years of teaching I have not seen a meme or slang word or phrase…take off like this one has.”

Meanwhile, a math teacher known as Miss Gemnini on TikTok warned students that saying “67” would result in losing 67 digital points, which are rewarded for good behaviour. Given the numerical nature of the subject, she added in her caption: “Being a math teacher I feel like it’s 10X worse for us.”

Some teachers have even taken to the app to jokingly share the everyday problems caused by the word. An elementary school teacher known as Joe Lyssy on TikTok posted a meme expressing the fear felt at having to tell his class to turn to page 67. Another maths teacher uploaded a humorous video of himself panicking once he realised the the answer to his sum was 67.

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