What Does 67 Mean? The 6 7 Slang Trend Explained for Parents

If you have kids, you’ve probably heard it. Someone says a number, or asks a question, or just exists near a basketball, and suddenly a child shouts “six seven!” while bouncing their hands up and down like a scale. In our house, my 17-year-old says it. My two little ones, who are 4 and 5, say it too. My 14-year-old is completely over it. And every single time, everyone laughs anyway. So what does 67 mean? The honest answer is funnier than you’d expect.

The Short Answer

“67” (said “six seven,” not “sixty-seven”) is a viral slang phrase popular with Gen Alpha kids and younger teens. It doesn’t really mean anything. That’s the joke.

Even Dictionary.com, which named 67 its 2025 Word of the Year, admits it’s hard to pin down. According to NPR, Dictionary.com said, “Perhaps the most defining feature of 67 is that it’s impossible to define.”

Kids say it as a reaction to almost anything: the number 6 or 7, the numbers 67, a height, a random question or a moment of silence that needs filling.

How to Say It (and the Hand Motion)

It’s pronounced “six seven,” usually drawn out and a little dramatic.

It almost always comes with a hand gesture. Both palms face up and move up and down, one at a time, like you’re weighing two things. Dictionary.com describes it as both palms facing upward, moving alternately up and down.

If you’ve seen a kid do it, you know the gesture is half the fun.

Where Did 67 Come From?

The trend has a few pieces that all came together:

• The song. The phrase comes from “Doot Doot (6 7),” a song by Philadelphia rapper Skrilla, released in December 2024, according to NPR.
• LaMelo Ball. The song took off in TikTok and Instagram videos set to basketball highlights of NBA player LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
• The “67 Kid.” A viral clip of a boy named Maverick Trevillian shouting “six seven” at a basketball game helped push it even further, according to Dictionary.com.
• Sports stars. NPR reports that athletes including LeBron James and Paige Bueckers used the phrase too, which spread it through sports culture and into schools.

From there, it was everywhere: classrooms, school buses, Halloween costumes and dinner tables.

So What Does 67 Actually Mean?

Here’s where parents get stuck. We keep looking for a hidden meaning, and there isn’t one.

The song’s creator, Skrilla, has said he left it intentionally vague. And NPR quotes LaMelo Ball saying, “It’s really nothing though, for real. Just six seven.”

Some people use it to mean “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that,” which matches the weighing hand motion. But most of the time, it’s just a sound kids make because it’s funny and everyone around them knows it.

Think of it as an inside joke that an entire generation is in on.

Why Kids Think 67 Is So Funny

This is the part I find kind of sweet. The humor isn’t in the words. It’s in the shared moment.

When one kid says “six seven,” the others instantly know what to do. It’s a tiny signal that says, “We get the same jokes.” Parenting expert Becky Kennedy put it well in the NPR piece: “67 is meaningless in content, but it’s not meaningless in feeling.”

That matches what I see at home. It doesn’t matter whether my 17-year-old says it or my preschoolers do. Everyone laughs, even the 14-year-old who insists he’s done with it.

Is 67 Inappropriate?

On its own, no. “67” is just a number and a hand gesture, and it isn’t a code for anything bad.

The one thing worth knowing is the source. Dictionary.com describes the original song as a drill track. Many kids know the phrase from videos and friends, not the song itself. If your kids want to listen to it, you may want to hear it first and decide for yourself.

The bigger issue for most families isn’t the meaning. It’s the timing. Dictionary.com notes that kids often say it when they spot those numbers, including in math problems. If it’s getting disruptive, a simple “not during class” rule usually works.

How Parents Can Handle the 67 Trend

• Laugh with them. It’s harmless, and joining in (badly) is a great way to make your kids groan and giggle at the same time.
• Don’t overthink it. There’s no secret meaning to decode.
• Set a few boundaries. School, church and the dinner table can be “no six seven” zones if it’s getting out of hand.
• Use it to connect. Ask your kids where they first heard it. You might learn a lot about what’s funny in their world right now.
• Expect it to fade. Like most slang, it’ll probably be replaced by something new. My 14-year-old is already there.

Other Meanings of 67

Some people searching “what does 67 mean” are asking about the number itself, so here’s the quick version:

• In math, 67 is a prime number. It’s the 19th prime, which means it can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself.
• As an angel number, some people who follow numerology see 67 as a sign of balance and personal growth. That’s a matter of belief, not fact.
• Everywhere else, 67 might be an age, a jersey number, a highway or a year. The meaning depends on where you see it.

But if a kid just said it to you with their palms in the air, it’s the slang.

More Kid Slang Parents Are Hearing

67 isn’t the only phrase leaving parents confused. If your kids have started saying “go play” to each other, here’s what kids mean when they say “go play”.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 67 mean?
“67,” said “six seven,” is a viral Gen Alpha slang phrase. It doesn’t have a real meaning. Kids say it as a joke or reaction, often with a palms-up hand gesture.

Why do kids say 6 7?
It started with the song “Doot Doot (6 7)” by Skrilla and spread through basketball videos featuring LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall. Now kids say it because it’s funny and everyone knows it.

What is the 67 hand gesture?
Both palms face up and move up and down, one at a time, like weighing two things.

Who is the 67 kid?
The “67 Kid” is Maverick Trevillian, a boy whose viral clip shouting “six seven” at a basketball game helped spread the trend.

Is 67 a bad word?
No. It’s just a number and a gesture. The original song is a drill track, so you may want to check it before younger kids listen.

Why was 67 the word of the year?
Dictionary.com named 67 its 2025 Word of the Year after searches for it surged, reflecting how widely kids and adults were using it.

Is 67 still popular?
Many kids still say it, especially younger ones. Some older kids consider it played out, which is exactly what my 14-year-old would tell you.

The Bottom Line

So what does 67 mean? Technically, nothing. And that’s exactly why kids love it. It’s silly, it’s shared and it gets a laugh every time. In our house, it works on everyone from preschool to high school. Well, almost everyone.

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More for parents: here’s what the hourglass means on Snapchat and what “oomf” means. More slang parents are asking about: what GNG means, what ICL means, and what PMO means. And if you keep seeing “istg,” here’s what ISTG means. Looking for the phone code and not the slang? Here’s what *67 does when you dial it before a number.