Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and moreStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Teenagers are likely to be the most familiar with the 2025 Word of the Year.Dictionary.com announced Wednesday that the slang term “67” has been chosen for the honor, which is meant to reflect “the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the year,” according to the website’s news release. The term originates from rapper Skrilla’s December 2024 song “Doot Doot (6 7)”, referencing a 6’7” basketball player. In the song, Skrilla sings, “The way that switch, I know he dyin’. 6-7. I just bipped right on the highway.”The song went on to gain popularity through viral videos and memes featuring NBA player LaMelo Ball. “67” has since evolved from being just the height of a basketball player to a nonsensical expression often blurted out by Generation Alpha, even prompting a call-and-answer response when someone shouts “six” and others respond “seven.” It also comes with an accompanying “juggling” hand gesture.The slang word originates from Skrilla’s December 2024 song ‘Doot Doot (6 7)’ (Getty Images)“It’s part inside joke, part social signal and part performance,” Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said in a news release. “When people say it, they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re shouting a feeling. It’s one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection – a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means.”Since the phrase has largely been used by a younger crowd, teachers have said that it has become a classroom distraction. Some educators are imposing consequences, from point deductions to essays, for students who use the term.“I’ve been teaching for 20 years and I’ve dealt with all sorts of slang — nothing has driven me crazier than this one,” Adria Laplander, a sixth-grade language arts teacher in Michigan, told Today.com.Laplander is so over it that she made a TikTok video explaining her form of punishment for any student who utters the word or performs the hand gesture.“We are not saying the words, ‘67’ anymore — if you do, you have to write a 67-word essay about … what the word ‘67’ means,” Laplander said. “If you do it again, another 67-word essay. After five times, if you’re still saying, ‘67’ in this classroom, your essay is going to bop up to 670 words.”Laplander said that having students write essays is a mild consequence meant to restore order in class, though some still shout “67” outside her door to provoke reactions. She says slang can help connect with students — but not when it disrupts learning.
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‘6-7’ named 2025 Word of the Year: Here’s what it means
