Dictionary.com has named '6-7' as its 2025 Word of the Year, a slang term originating from rapper Skrilla's December 2024 song 'Doot Doot (6 7)'. The phrase, which references a 6'7" basketball player, has since evolved into a nonsensical expression popular among Generation Alpha, often accompanied by a 'juggling' hand gesture.
According to the dictionary's news release, the term reflects 'the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the year'. Steve Johnson, director of lexicography at IXL Learning, described it as 'part inside joke, part social signal and part performance', functioning as an interjection that spreads energy before its meaning is agreed upon.
The phrase has become a classroom distraction, with teachers imposing consequences such as point deductions or essay assignments. Adria Laplander, a sixth-grade language arts teacher in Michigan, told Today.com that she requires students who say '6-7' to write a 67-word essay on its meaning, escalating to 670 words after five offences.
Laplander noted that while slang can help connect with students, this particular term has disrupted learning more than any other in her 20-year teaching career. Some students continue to shout '6-7' outside her door to provoke reactions.
