Real meaning of '6, 7' meme as teachers ban phrase from classrooms
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/EMS-FORSTER-PRODUCTIONS
If you've heard the phrase 'six, seven' be used by kids and teens, it might have left you a bit confused.
Fortunately, a hip 28-year-old UNILAD writer is on hand to tell you the real meaning of the meme as some teachers ban the phrase from being muttered in US classrooms.
The phrase 'six, seven' - often typed online as '67' - has exploded across TikTok, sparking confusion in classrooms, group chats, and family dinners alike.
While it might sound like the answer to a math problem or someone's height, the truth is... it kind of means nothing.
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Yes, really.
The meme, which has now featured in over 1.1 million TikTok videos, is a prime example of Gen Z and Gen Alpha humor - chaotic, catchy, and utterly baffling to adults.
Despite its widespread use, most people have no idea what it actually means... and that’s kind of the point.
The trend’s origin can be traced back to hip-hop artist Skrilla, who dropped a track called Doot Doot in December 2024. In it, he raps: "6-7, I just bipped right on the highway (bip, bip).”
From there, the phrase took on a life of its own.
TikTok’s self-proclaimed 'OG Student Translator', Mr. Lindsay - a teacher and popular education content creator - broke it down in a viral video posted on August 18, after being asked daily to explain what 'six, seven' actually means.
"It has blown up even more," he said, explaining how the lyric became a catchphrase and then mutated into meme territory.
Things really took off when a creator used the audio to joke that NBA star LaMelo Ball, despite being 6'7", plays like he’s 6'2". That clip opened the floodgates.
“This meme goes viral,” Mr. Lindsay said. “Everybody is making edits, everybody is saying ‘six, seven,’ all of these content creators are starting to put ‘six, seven’ into all of their things.”
Even athletes starting using it, with Taylen 'TK' Kinney - a point guard in the Overtime Elite league - becoming renowned for overusing it.
Mr. Lindsay explained that kids will reply 'six, seven' to absolutely anything, from 'what's that smell?' to 'what time is it?.
“So, all of this to say, ‘six seven’ is just a reference to a meme,” Mr. Lindsay concluded. “There’s no real meaning to it. It is a number that is fun to say… with the hand motions, and it just doesn’t mean anything.”