What does 6-7 mean? Learn this back-to-school slang

Are "skibidi," "rizz" and "sigma" out? It's back-to-school season, and students are not just bringing home stomach bugs; they are also saying new words and phrases that may make no sense to anyone out of grade school or not chronically online.

What kids are saying these days seems to move faster than the speed of light thanks to social media. And to some, today's slang may not even appear to correlate with the words or phrases kids are looking to shorten.

In a TikTok video posted on Sept. 3, user Mr. Lindsay, a teacher and comedian known for breaking down Gen Alpha slang, said students are repeatedly saying, "You stole my brain rot," the ever-popular "6-7" and "SDIYBT" (more on that below).

Here's a look at some of the words, phrases and emojis being used by Gen Alpha right now.

What is 'brain rot'?

To get the ball rolling, it's worth defining "brain rot." The noun can describe a state of being impacted by increased social media usage or content that has little to no substantive value, which may lead to the metaphorical degradation of the brain. These days, "brain rot" is largely used to describe the latter and can serve as an umbrella term for the words and phrases below.

The phrase "You stole my brain rot" is specifically in reference to a Roblox game called Steal Brainrot. In the fast-paced, heist-style game, users are tasked with stealing other players' "brain rot," which appears as different silly characters.

Use in a sentence: "This year's back-to-school slang is full of brain rot."

6-7

Definition: "6-7" is less of meaningful phrase than a meaningless response.

Origin: 6-7 is derived from the song "Doot Doot," released by rapper Skrilla in December 2024. In the song, Skrilla sings, "The way that switch, I know he dyin'. 6-7. I just bipped right on the highway." According to Know Your Meme, a database for memes and internet slang, some people say the "6-7" in the song is in reference to 67th Street, perhaps in Philadelphia, where the rapper is from. But Skrilla had not confirmed the numbers' meaning as of Sept. 4.

The same day of the song's release, TikTok user Matvii Grinblat posted a video of Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball. In the video, Grinblat discusses Ball's height, which is 6-foot-7. At this point in the video, the lyric from "Doot Doot" in which Skrilla sings "6-7" is dubbed. As of Sept. 4, the TikTok video had more than 10 million views.

Several other videos dubbing Skrilla's lyrics grew in popularity at the start of 2025. While the line was initially used in reference to Ball's height, it began to morph.

For example, in late January, TikTok user Tibitoye posted a video with the on-screen caption, "I got 67/100 on that test. What ab (about) you?" The video is set to Skrilla's song, in which the "6-7" line is played. The second half of the on-screen caption reads, "Me bc (because) I heard 67:" As of Sept. 4, the video had 3.6 million views.

"6-7" died down for a few weeks before exploding again with the "67 Kid" meme, Know Your Meme says. In March, content creator Cam Wilder posted a YouTube video of an Amateur Athletic Union basketball game. In the video, an excited boy says "6-7" to the camera as he moves his hands like weighing two objects, palms up, moving his arms up and down. The phrase and hand movements have gained widespread traction among Gen Alpha.

See the aforementioned clip below at the 12:34-minute mark.

While some students may just be saying the phrase and doing the trendy hand movements, others have taken "6-7" a bit further. In a TikTok video posted by user Mrs. Barron on Sept. 3, the science teacher addresses an issue with her class: Students had been circling the numbers "6" and "7" on classroom rulers. Barron continues to have a conversation with her students about vandalism of school property and discipline within the classroom.

"Mrs. Barron understands that the person probably just thought it was funny and they made a wrong choice," the teacher tells her class. "This is an opportunity for me to address everybody and talking about leveling up and how to be respectful and be the best version of yourself that you can be."

SDIYBT

Definition: SDIYBT is an acronym for "start digging in yo butt, twin." The phrase may sound crude, but it really doesn't have any meaning. It's just a phrase that has become repeatable and it may be more common to hear kids just say or use, "SDIYBT."

Origin: SDIYBT is derived from another, shorter slang phrase, "Diggin in yo butt, twin," which went viral in July. The catchphrase took off when a content creator posted a clip from the "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode "Welcome to the Chum Bucket." In the episode, the character Plankton asks a robot with SpongeBob's brain in it to make him a Krabby Patty. But in the viral clip, the robot's response is dubbed over with "Start digging in yo butt, twin," according to Know Your Meme.

See the aforementioned video below.

Though SDIYBT became popular this summer, memes with the phrase actually date back to 2019, according to Know Your Meme.

Clock it

Definition: "Clock it" is used as validation, given to someone who is sharing new information or gossip. The phrase is used in conjunction with a finger thumb tap, in which a person taps the tips of their thumb and forefinger together to represent a miniature clap, according to Know Your Meme.

Origin: The origins of the "clock it" phrase and associated finger tap are murky, but it is likely derived from AAVE, or African-American Vernacular English. Specifically, the phrase may have roots in ballroom culture, an LGBTQIA+ subculture founded by Black and Latino communities in the mid-20th century, according to 21 Ninety, an online publication dedicated to telling stories by and for women of color.

The phrase has made its way in the mainstream several times over the years. In 2023, for example, drag queen Monica Beverly Hills sang her original song "Not a Soul Can Clock" on Episode 11 of Season 8 of "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars."

The phrase and finger tap resurfaced this year when "Love Island" Season 7 contestant Allen "Ace" Greene referenced it in a freestyle rap video posted to TikTok in April. The clip of Greene's song had been dubbed in more than 272,000 TikTok videos as of Sept. 4.

🥀Dead rose emoji

Definition: The red, wilted rose emoji (🥀) is used to represent damage or heartbreak, according to Know Your Meme.

Origin: The dead rose emoji was added to Unicode, the universal character language, in 2016 as part of the 9.0 update.

One of the most popular, satirical uses of the emoji was in 2023, when an X user posted an AI-generated photo of Peter Griffin from "Family Guy" sitting in a dark room, looking out a window. The caption said, "If I told you a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it? 🥀" The line is from Kendrick Lamar's 2018 single "Poetic Justice."

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].