Read, Watch or Listen

School halls across the country echo with kids yelling "6-7" for any excuse, a nonsense chant that signals in-group belonging and exasperates teachers. Linguists describe "semantic bleaching": the phrase, tied to Skrilla’s "Doot Doot (6 7)" and a gesture popularized by Taylen Kinney, now means nothing—and that’s the point. Adults’ reactions may be prolonging its life; some educators neutralize it by using it themselves. Experts say it isn’t harmful, just typical youth slang likely to fade, with would-be replacements like "41" already angling to dethrone it.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.