If you’re a parent or teacher, you’ve probably heard kids shouting “67” and thought, what on earth does that mean, and when will it stop? Bad news if you’re trying to understand it: the phrase doesn’t actually mean anything at all.
“67” is just a random number combo turned inside joke that’s become a cultural phenomenon. But like most generational trends, there’s more to the story and it didn’t appear out of thin air.
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From a leaked song to the dictionary
The number craze started with Philadelphia rapper Skrilla’s 2024 track “Doot Doot (6-7).” He told The Wall Street Journal the song wasn’t supposed to leave the studio, but after he leaked it, kids made it go viral.
The video currently has more than 15 million YouTube views and over 48 million Spotify streams. That’s when the number “67 (read as six-seven)” stopped being a lyric and started becoming a language.
The phrase’s rise was so explosive that Dictionary.com named 67 its 2025 Word of the Year, saying it reflects how fast online slang can spread. Searches surged through the summer, and when school started, classrooms became ground zero for the joke.
Why did this catch on so fast?
Cynthia Gordon, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University, broke down the trend in a recent interview with her school’s news outlet.
“The ‘6-7’ trend seems oriented to humor and play,” Gordon told Georgetown News. “It is only humorous, however, if a group of people are ‘insiders’ and collectively evaluate it as funny.”
That “insider” effect has made the phrase contagious, and sometimes chaotic. Gordon noted that even teachers accidentally using the phrase can spark laughter because they’re not in on the joke.
Teachers have had enough
Now, some teachers are trying to keep up — or quiet things down. Videos on TikTok show classrooms where teachers track how many times students say it, while others jokingly take away six plus seven minutes of recess every time it’s shouted.
But some educators, like this lifestyle reporter’s mother who’s been a teacher for more than 35 years, handle it differently. She says it’s all about tone. The kids love her, but they also know to show respect.
When adults join in, kids check out
Ironically, the trend may die because of adults. Financial advisor Douglas Boneparth went viral on X for posting a photo of his Halloween costume with his wife — the two dressed as “6” and “7.”
Their kids? They hated it.
Like most slang cycles, once parents start using it, the cool factor disappears instantly.
How long will this last?
So has 67 reached its peak? Probably not yet. Google Trends shows search interest still climbing, even as adults pray for peace and quiet.
Still, Gordon thinks its lifespan will be short.
“Because ‘6-7’ seems to be a way of being silly, playing and acting in ways that adults find disruptive, I don’t think it will last very long,” she said.
Like “skibidi,” “gyat,” and “rizz” before it, trends fade. But for now, it’ll probably be around for about 6 or 7 more weeks (wink).
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article and the published video incorrectly stated that rapper Skrilla is from Florida. He is from Philadelphia. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
