“The English language is losing it. Maybe I should have treated her better.”— Buffy Summers
Hey Dictionary.com. Don't be alarmed. We are gathered here today because we all care about you a lot, but your behavior lately has made us very concerned.
That’s right. We are here because you chose “6-7” as your Word of the Year (WOTY). I know it seems like a silly award, but you and some of your friends sitting here — Oxford, Merriam, Collins, Macquarie — you’ve done some great work with it in the past. Remember when Merriam bestowed 2006’s title to the Stephen Colbert-coined “Truthiness?” Unbelievable! Or when Oxford chose “Post-Truth” following Kellyanne Conway’s first utterance of “fake news”? Or when they —
No, no. You’re right. This isn’t about them. You’ve done great work, too. But, frankly, we’ve been worried for a while. Last year, you really scared us when you chose “Demure” just because some TikToker used it weirdly, but at least people were still using you to find out a good vocab word. But this year… I don’t even know where to begin. 6-7?!
Dear God! Dic! What are you doing, bud? Just because you talk like a kid doesn’t mean they’ll use you.
I know you expect me to tell you some things you’ve probably already heard: firstly, that you can’t release a year-end list in October. (If you can’t hear Wham! on the radio, it’s too early.) And yes, “6-7” is not a word so much as two digits uttered consecutively, but, Oxford, you chose the non-vocalic “😀” in 2015, so we’ll give you a pass. At least we can all say this one! (Sorry, Ox, but you know you had it coming.)
But this is much more concerning than not abiding by convention. This is some anti-dictionary type shit. This is Gen Alpha slang.
Oh, Harper! Sorry, I forgot you were here. You’ve been so quiet. I know you haven’t received a new edition since 2011, so let me get you caught up.
The phrase “6-7” is extremely popular among Generation (or, Gen) Alpha (who were only one when you were last published), who represents kids born after 2010, meaning all of them are 15 and under. Here’s how it works: whenever anyone says either the words “six,” “seven,” or –God help you! – both, every child within earshot must scream “6-7!” while making an indiscernible gesture akin to mimicking the scales of Anubis. Most freakishly though, not one of them will be able to tell why they do this peculiar ritual. It’s a Rod Serling nightmare. All we know is that it possesses them with a fervor of joy so strong that South Park (hilariously) was forced to conjecture “6-7” to be apocryphal numerology so inscrutable that not even antichrist expert Peter Thiel could stop it. (Yes, the PayPal guy. Harper, you need to be updated more often.)
What’s the etymology of “6-7”? That’s a great question, Mac. “6-7” has its origins in a 2024 song by a rapper named Skrilla entitled “Doot-doot.” (That title alone should give you an indication that he may not be the preeminent wordsmith of our time.) The lyric in question goes, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway (bip, bip) / Skrrrt, uhh. (bip bip bip).” If you found that lyric confusing, don’t feel bad. Skrilla said he doesn't know what he’s talking about either (after all, it’s not like a rapper, for whom wordplay is paramount, should be concerned with things like… the meaning of their words). The phrase was further popularized through teenage TikTok videos and Hornet’s point guard LaMelo Ball, but no one is exactly sure how it exploded to the scale that it did.
Gen Alpha however doesn’t care. They’ve become notorious for repeating stuff without knowing what they’re saying. And that’s precisely the problem here.
No, Dic! I’m not anti-slang! We all know how important slang is. Every generation uses words in weird ways that contort their meanings to create completely new lexicons. Indeed, slang has been around as long as language, itself, and is the primary way that languages develop within a society without stealing or appropriating terminology from other cultures. But this generation has done something dangerous with its slang.
Take any piece of slang from cultures past. “Rad.” Originating from “radical” — itself a product of ‘70’s surf culture — it originally meant “extreme,” but it very quickly became synonymous with “awesome” and “cool.” “Groovy” literally refers to the grooves in vinyl records, which led to songs being described as “groovy.” Soon, other, non-musical objects and feelings acquired the same attribution, which was able to make sense via connotation. Even wacky, constructed slang, when done right, has origins and clear definitions. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, always rife with wordplay, coined “Five-by-Five,” which originated in HAM radio lingo as a reference to signal strength, was contorted to mean “got it” or “OK”.
Notice the rules? No matter when the slang was started, it always has some definitive origin, and, most importantly, a trackable definition. These rules should be inevitable. Words must mean something. otherwise, they shouldn’t exist. (Bip, bip.)
Gen Z understood these principles. For example, “Rizz” is a valid example of slang. Though odd, the phrase is simply a shortened, phonetic form of “chaRISma” with a nearly identical meaning. Wonderful!
But, Gen Alpha went too far. They started using nonsense words when there should be silence. Now kids are just saying stuff that means nothing as if it meant something.
Even adding “6-7” to a dictionary presents our editors with a paradox: define a word that has no meaning. Numerology will get you nowhere. “6-7” is neither onomatopoeic nor substitutable nor advantageous. Indeed, it lacks all semblance of meaning. It is then, axiomatically, impenetrable per se.
Your has brought heartache to a lot of good dictionaries, like myself, who you’ve hurt. After all, why are kids ever going to use us if we can’t show them that the meaning of words matter?
To paraphrase Paddy Chayefsky: You, Dictionary.com, have meddled with the primal forces of English and you must atone!
We have set you up with an appointment at a rehab center led by Britannica. We all believe in you. Now, go. Get help and good luck, Dic.
Like any good reference material, I’ve included a bibliography below.
Works Cited:
Chayesfky, Paddy (writer) and Sidney Lumet (director). Network. Speech performed by Ned Beatty. MGM/United Artists. 1975. Streaming.
“Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year Is...” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 28 Oct. 2025, www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-year-2024/#recent-words-of-the-year.
“Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year Is...” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 28 Oct. 2025, www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-year-2025/#recent-words-of-the-year.
Djajapranata, Cliff. “What does '6-7' mean? We don't know either, so we asked a linguist.” Cynthia Gordon (interviewee). Georgetown University. 23 Oct. 2025. https://www.georgetown.edu/news/six-seven-meme-linguistics/
“Twisted Christian.” South Park. Written & Directed by Trey Parker. Created by Trey Parker & Matt Stone. Season 28, episode 1. 15 Oct. 2025. Comedy Central/Paramount+.
“Sigma.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2025. Web. 31 Oct. 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/sigma.
Whedon, Joss. Time of Your Life. Penciling by Karl Moline. Inks by Andy Owens. Colors by Michelle Madsen. Cover Art by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics. Print. 2009. Vol. 4 of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8.
"Word of the Year 2015". Oxford Dictionaries. November 16, 2015. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2015/.
“Word of the Year 2023”. Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved 4 Dec. 2023. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2023/.
That’s right. We are here because you chose “6-7” as your Word of the Year (WOTY). I know it seems like a silly award, but you and some of your friends sitting here — Oxford, Merriam, Collins, Macquarie — you’ve done some great work with it in the past. Remember when Merriam bestowed 2006’s title to the Stephen Colbert-coined “Truthiness?” Unbelievable! Or when Oxford chose “Post-Truth” following Kellyanne Conway’s first utterance of “fake news”? Or when they —
No, no. You’re right. This isn’t about them. You’ve done great work, too. But, frankly, we’ve been worried for a while. Last year, you really scared us when you chose “Demure” just because some TikToker used it weirdly, but at least people were still using you to find out a good vocab word. But this year… I don’t even know where to begin. 6-7?!
Dear God! Dic! What are you doing, bud? Just because you talk like a kid doesn’t mean they’ll use you.
I know you expect me to tell you some things you’ve probably already heard: firstly, that you can’t release a year-end list in October. (If you can’t hear Wham! on the radio, it’s too early.) And yes, “6-7” is not a word so much as two digits uttered consecutively, but, Oxford, you chose the non-vocalic “😀” in 2015, so we’ll give you a pass. At least we can all say this one! (Sorry, Ox, but you know you had it coming.)
But this is much more concerning than not abiding by convention. This is some anti-dictionary type shit. This is Gen Alpha slang.
Oh, Harper! Sorry, I forgot you were here. You’ve been so quiet. I know you haven’t received a new edition since 2011, so let me get you caught up.
The phrase “6-7” is extremely popular among Generation (or, Gen) Alpha (who were only one when you were last published), who represents kids born after 2010, meaning all of them are 15 and under. Here’s how it works: whenever anyone says either the words “six,” “seven,” or –God help you! – both, every child within earshot must scream “6-7!” while making an indiscernible gesture akin to mimicking the scales of Anubis. Most freakishly though, not one of them will be able to tell why they do this peculiar ritual. It’s a Rod Serling nightmare. All we know is that it possesses them with a fervor of joy so strong that South Park (hilariously) was forced to conjecture “6-7” to be apocryphal numerology so inscrutable that not even antichrist expert Peter Thiel could stop it. (Yes, the PayPal guy. Harper, you need to be updated more often.)
What’s the etymology of “6-7”? That’s a great question, Mac. “6-7” has its origins in a 2024 song by a rapper named Skrilla entitled “Doot-doot.” (That title alone should give you an indication that he may not be the preeminent wordsmith of our time.) The lyric in question goes, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway (bip, bip) / Skrrrt, uhh. (bip bip bip).” If you found that lyric confusing, don’t feel bad. Skrilla said he doesn't know what he’s talking about either (after all, it’s not like a rapper, for whom wordplay is paramount, should be concerned with things like… the meaning of their words). The phrase was further popularized through teenage TikTok videos and Hornet’s point guard LaMelo Ball, but no one is exactly sure how it exploded to the scale that it did.
Gen Alpha however doesn’t care. They’ve become notorious for repeating stuff without knowing what they’re saying. And that’s precisely the problem here.
No, Dic! I’m not anti-slang! We all know how important slang is. Every generation uses words in weird ways that contort their meanings to create completely new lexicons. Indeed, slang has been around as long as language, itself, and is the primary way that languages develop within a society without stealing or appropriating terminology from other cultures. But this generation has done something dangerous with its slang.
Take any piece of slang from cultures past. “Rad.” Originating from “radical” — itself a product of ‘70’s surf culture — it originally meant “extreme,” but it very quickly became synonymous with “awesome” and “cool.” “Groovy” literally refers to the grooves in vinyl records, which led to songs being described as “groovy.” Soon, other, non-musical objects and feelings acquired the same attribution, which was able to make sense via connotation. Even wacky, constructed slang, when done right, has origins and clear definitions. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, always rife with wordplay, coined “Five-by-Five,” which originated in HAM radio lingo as a reference to signal strength, was contorted to mean “got it” or “OK”.
Notice the rules? No matter when the slang was started, it always has some definitive origin, and, most importantly, a trackable definition. These rules should be inevitable. Words must mean something. otherwise, they shouldn’t exist. (Bip, bip.)
Gen Z understood these principles. For example, “Rizz” is a valid example of slang. Though odd, the phrase is simply a shortened, phonetic form of “chaRISma” with a nearly identical meaning. Wonderful!
But, Gen Alpha went too far. They started using nonsense words when there should be silence. Now kids are just saying stuff that means nothing as if it meant something.
Even adding “6-7” to a dictionary presents our editors with a paradox: define a word that has no meaning. Numerology will get you nowhere. “6-7” is neither onomatopoeic nor substitutable nor advantageous. Indeed, it lacks all semblance of meaning. It is then, axiomatically, impenetrable per se.
Your has brought heartache to a lot of good dictionaries, like myself, who you’ve hurt. After all, why are kids ever going to use us if we can’t show them that the meaning of words matter?
To paraphrase Paddy Chayefsky: You, Dictionary.com, have meddled with the primal forces of English and you must atone!
We have set you up with an appointment at a rehab center led by Britannica. We all believe in you. Now, go. Get help and good luck, Dic.
Like any good reference material, I’ve included a bibliography below.
Works Cited:
Chayesfky, Paddy (writer) and Sidney Lumet (director). Network. Speech performed by Ned Beatty. MGM/United Artists. 1975. Streaming.
“Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year Is...” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 28 Oct. 2025, www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-year-2024/#recent-words-of-the-year.
“Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year Is...” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 28 Oct. 2025, www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-year-2025/#recent-words-of-the-year.
Djajapranata, Cliff. “What does '6-7' mean? We don't know either, so we asked a linguist.” Cynthia Gordon (interviewee). Georgetown University. 23 Oct. 2025. https://www.georgetown.edu/news/six-seven-meme-linguistics/
“Twisted Christian.” South Park. Written & Directed by Trey Parker. Created by Trey Parker & Matt Stone. Season 28, episode 1. 15 Oct. 2025. Comedy Central/Paramount+.
“Sigma.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2025. Web. 31 Oct. 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/sigma.
Whedon, Joss. Time of Your Life. Penciling by Karl Moline. Inks by Andy Owens. Colors by Michelle Madsen. Cover Art by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics. Print. 2009. Vol. 4 of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8.
"Word of the Year 2015". Oxford Dictionaries. November 16, 2015. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2015/.
“Word of the Year 2023”. Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved 4 Dec. 2023. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2023/.
A very fun read!
ReplyDeleteWe saw a thirty-something couple "costumed" in football jerseys, numbers six and seven, at a Halloween event in Woodstock last weekend. For a split second I thought that they were dressed as NFL players, until a gaggle of preteens went into hysterics and was reminded of the South Park episode.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I felt weirdly proud at having celebrated my 67th birthday a few days earlier. Had a laugh with the family.
P.S. I firmly believe that South Park is the most important program on television today.