6-7: What does it mean?

If you’ve spent any time recently around middle or high school kids, you’ve heard “6-7” and seen the accompanying hand motion. But what does it mean?

Several theories abound, with some people referencing 67th street in Philadelphia (or perhaps in Chicago) in Skrilla‘s song Doot Doot, NBA basketball player LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets standing 6’7″ tall, etc. But what’s the truth?

Where did it come from?

On YouTube and social media, “6-7” (pronounced “six-seven,” and also written as “67” or “6 7”) is a viral slang term that is intentionally meaningless and nonsensical. It has been embraced primarily by Gen Alpha and was named Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year for 2025.

The meme evolved through a series of viral internet trends that began in late 2024 and early 2025.

The song: The trend started with the drill song “Doot Doot (6 7)” by the rapper Skrilla, which features the repeated line “six-seven”. Skrilla has stated that he intentionally gave the phrase no specific meaning.
Basketball memes: The song’s audio went viral on TikTok, where creators began pairing it with clips of NBA player LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall.
The “67 Kid”: In a viral YouTube video, a young boy now known as the “67 Kid” was seen enthusiastically chanting “six-seven” at a basketball game, complete with a distinctive two-handed hand gesture. This cemented the phrase and hand motion in internet culture.
Widespread adoption: The meme quickly transcended its basketball origins. Athletes and social media users began using the phrase in a wide variety of unrelated contexts, including in press conferences and everyday conversations.

Because the term is nonsensical, its use is flexible and can convey a range of meanings, or none at all. It is best understood as an inside joke and social signal that demonstrates a user is “in on” the trend.

Typical uses for “6-7” include:

As an ambiguous response: Some people use it to answer a question when they don’t want to give a real answer, such as responding “6-7” when asked what time it is.
To mean “so-so”: When combined with its common up-and-down hand gesture, it can sometimes be used to describe something as “maybe this, maybe that” or “so-so”. Others reckon it’s a way to describe mediocre or “mid” content.
As a substitute for a number: The number combination “6-7” is sometimes used humorously in math problems or as a substitute for any other number.
To frustrate adults: Teachers have reported that some students use the phrase specifically to get a reaction out of older, uninformed adults.

The term “6-7” is often cited as an example of “brain rot,” a term for the low-effort, low-quality content that proliferates online. The humor and absurdity of “6-7” lie in its lack of a concrete meaning, which, for many, is a sign of a decline in digital media quality. But to kids, it’s just fun (but sometimes cringe).