It all started with just two simple numbers: six and seven.
My nieces would say it like some sort of incantation, “Six-seven,” palms up, moving their hands in a rhythm that looked half like a prayer and half like a shrug. Those around them would burst into laughter, but I just didn’t get it.
When I asked what it meant, they just smiled and said, “It doesn’t mean anything.” But of course, that only made me more curious.
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From Foreign Words to Gen Z Slang
On my podcast Fifty Words for Snow, my cohost Emily and I usually delve into unique words in languages such as Japanese, Icelandic, and Yiddish in an attempt to see how language shapes culture.
But one episode, we switch things up instead of studying foreign words, we studied modern slang. Emily’s teenage son Ollie and my nieces Addie and Ava joined us to decode what’s trending among Gen Z.
They were throwing around terms like touch grass, brain rot, and side eye, but one thing stood out: 6-7.
It wasn’t even a word, just a pair of numbers. A gesture. A vibe. A quick way of saying: “I get it, I’m part of this.”
It didn’t mean anything, necessarily. No one could tell me exactly what it meant. Some said it came from a rap lyric; others claimed it started as a TikTok meme. But all agreed “It’s just a thing. Everyone says it.”
When Meaning Doesn’t Matter, But Connection Does
That’s when it hit me-the meaning didn’t matter.
Saying “6-7” wasn’t about explaining something; it was about belonging. It wasn’t a word with a dictionary definition. It was a signal: a secret handshake in digital form.
When I was their age, slang had meaning. Rad meant cool. Bad meant uncool. But 6-7 is different. It’s a code for connection. You either get it, or you don’t.
When I tried using it, my nieces smiled at me the way you might smile at a dog wearing sunglasses-amused but kind. They didn’t laugh at me, but they let me stay nearby, part of their world for a moment.
It’s weird and lovely how two arbitrary numbers can create a common bond. 6-7 doesn’t convey smartness, or rebellion, or irony. All it says is, “I saw what you saw. I was there.”
Every generation has its inside jokes and secret codes that leave adults scratching their heads. The difference today is speed: a phrase like 6-7 can go viral overnight, unite millions, and disappear in weeks.
While it lasts, though, it unites people into an invisible tribe bound together through shared humor and passing trends.
Unpacking the Real Meaning Behind 6-7
It’s easy to dismiss things like 6-7 as meaningless internet chatter. But look closer, and you’ll see something deeper.
Language is alive, and the young are its boldest creators. They’re constantly reinventing the way we communicate, testing what happens when words become pure signals of emotion and belonging.
When Emily characterized 6-7 as “just an inside joke,” she was correct. But it’s also a reminder of how connection works in the digital age. You don’t have to understand everything to be part of something. Sometimes, all it takes is to say 6-7 and know that someone out there will say it back.