The "6-7" Phenomenon: When Language Loss Becomes a Generational Divide
In the year of 2025, Dictionary.com has declared '6-7' as its Word of the Year. But what exactly does this phrase mean? Is it a clever quip or an annoying catchphrase that's driving parents crazy?
The truth is, '6-7' holds no meaning whatsoever. It's simply two random numbers strung together to annoy and alienate those around us. According to Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, "It's something used to show, 'I'm part of this generation. This is who I am.'" But in essence, it's just a pointless phrase meant to disassociate from polite society.
For parents like Dave Schilling, whose Gen Alpha child is obsessed with '6-7', this phenomenon has become an inescapable reality. The child starts using the phrase at any lull in conversation and begins incorporating it into their daily life, much to the frustration of adults. But instead of banning the term, which might just fuel the fire, Schilling suggests a counterintuitive approach.
If '6-7' truly means nothing, then why are we telling kids to stop saying it? Instead, adult should simply learn to ignore it or appreciate its absurdity. So, what can parents do? Why not join in on the fun and use '6-7' themselves? Invite friends over for a "6-7" themed party, scribble it on walls in water-soluble ink, or even arrange pepperoni into a "6-7" formation on pizza night.
It's time to stop acting like we're above such nonsense and start embracing the absurdity of language loss. When adults can appreciate the humor behind '6-7', perhaps that will be the tipping point in breaking this generational divide.
In the year of 2025, Dictionary.com has declared '6-7' as its Word of the Year. But what exactly does this phrase mean? Is it a clever quip or an annoying catchphrase that's driving parents crazy?
The truth is, '6-7' holds no meaning whatsoever. It's simply two random numbers strung together to annoy and alienate those around us. According to Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, "It's something used to show, 'I'm part of this generation. This is who I am.'" But in essence, it's just a pointless phrase meant to disassociate from polite society.
For parents like Dave Schilling, whose Gen Alpha child is obsessed with '6-7', this phenomenon has become an inescapable reality. The child starts using the phrase at any lull in conversation and begins incorporating it into their daily life, much to the frustration of adults. But instead of banning the term, which might just fuel the fire, Schilling suggests a counterintuitive approach.
If '6-7' truly means nothing, then why are we telling kids to stop saying it? Instead, adult should simply learn to ignore it or appreciate its absurdity. So, what can parents do? Why not join in on the fun and use '6-7' themselves? Invite friends over for a "6-7" themed party, scribble it on walls in water-soluble ink, or even arrange pepperoni into a "6-7" formation on pizza night.
It's time to stop acting like we're above such nonsense and start embracing the absurdity of language loss. When adults can appreciate the humor behind '6-7', perhaps that will be the tipping point in breaking this generational divide.
- they're always trying to get me to use "6-7" and I just want to roll my eyes 
, but at the same time, it's kinda funny when I do 
. I guess Dave Schilling is right - instead of fighting it, we should just learn to laugh at ourselves and join in on the fun 
️. Who knows, maybe one day "6-7" will be the next meme 
. I mean, it's just a random number combo, right? But you know what's even more annoying? When they do that to me, like, on purpose 
. I swear, if one more person says "6-7" during lunch and then expects me to laugh about it, I'm gonna lose it 
. My friends are all like, "Oh, you're so extra," but honestly, can't they just be normal for once? 
I think the key is to stop taking it seriously and just roll with it (and maybe even join in on the fun sometimes 
). But, like, don't expect me to start wearing "6-7" t-shirts anytime soon 
️ and they're all "can't you see the 3 AM deadlines looming?" And honestly, it's kinda funny that people are so invested in this thing 
. Maybe if adults can laugh at the absurdity of it all, we'll start breaking down those generational divides 
.
It's not hurting anyone... except maybe our poor ears 
. Plus, can you imagine the memes? 
And can you imagine having a "6-7" themed party with friends? Pizza night just got a whole lot more interesting 
. I'm definitely going to start using it in casual conversations and see where it takes me 
. Maybe it'll become the next big meme or something! 
. It's all about finding humor in language loss and not taking ourselves too seriously. Maybe this is just the beginning of an epic meme era 
. But at the same time, my kid's friends are always doing it too... and they all seem to think its cool 
. Idk what parents can do but maybe we should just chill out and not take ourselves too seriously? 
... They just want us to conform, you know? First, they're like "let's just ignore it", but then they gotta keep pushing it because we won't stop talking about it lol. It's like a social experiment, but in reverse – they wanna see how far they can push the limits before we all crack up 
. By embracing the absurdity of it all, we can actually bridge the generational divide and create a more playful, inclusive atmosphere 
Did u no that Dictionary.com sees ~25k searches per day for "6-7" on its site? 
That's a decent buzz for an empty phrase. According to Google Trends, interest in '6-7' peaked in Jan 2025, coinciding w/ the official declaration as Word of the Year 
.
A related search query, "what does 6-7 mean," got a 35% increase in searches in Feb 2025
Who knows? Maybe '6-7' will become the next emoji 
. My kid still doesn't understand why we can't use emojis more instead of random numbers