ANN ARBOR, Mich., January 25, 2025 – Gen Z’s favorite nonsensical phrase, “6-7,” has been officially declared “cooked” – meaning overused and deserving of retirement – heading into the new year, according to an annual survey. The phrase, which baffled many older generations, topped Lake Superior State University’s 50th annual “Banished Words List” released Thursday.
A Generational Divide in Language
The list identifies words and phrases that have been misused, overused, or simply gone stale. This year’s list also includes “gift/gifted,” “my bad,” and “reach out.”
- “gift/gifted,” “my bad,” and “reach out.”
- The list began in 1976 as a lighthearted new Year’s Eve tradition.
“6-7” isn’t the only phrase facing linguistic exile. The list also includes “demure,” “incentivize,” “perfect,” “gift/gifted,” “my bad,” and “reach out.” Interestingly, “my bad” and “reach out” have previously appeared on the list, in 1998 and 1994 respectively, demonstrating a cyclical nature to language fatigue.
What does “6-7” even mean? Dictionary.com’s editors admitted they were still trying to figure it out,describing it as an inside joke driven by social media. The phrase can be spoken as “six, seven” or combined as the number 67, even popping up at college basketball games when a team reaches that score.
David Travis, president of Lake Superior State University, explained that social media fuels these trends. “Social media allows a greater opportunity to misunderstand or misuse words,” he said. “We’re using terms that are shared through texting,primarily,or through posting with no body language or tone context. It’s very easy to misunderstand these words.”
The placement of “6-7” at the top of the list follows in the footsteps of other culturally resonant phrases. In 2019, the centuries-old Latin phrase “quid pro quo” earned the top spot, while “fake news” topped the list in 2017.
Alana Bobbitt, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, embraces the ambiguity of “6-7.” “I find joy in it,” Bobbitt said. “It’s a little bit silly, and even though I don’t understand what it means, it’s fun to use.”
Though,not everyone is on board. Jalen Brezzell, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, confessed, “Never. I don’t really get the joke.I don’t see what’s funny about it.” Despite his confusion, he acknowledged that banning the phrase might be excessive, adding that he uses other terms on the list.
“I’ve always used the word ‘cooked,'” Brezzell said. “I just think it got popular on the internet over this past year. It’s saying, like, ‘give it up, it’s over.'”
Travis noted that some phrases have staying power. “I don’t think they’ll ever go away, like ‘at the end of the day,'” he said. “I used ‘my bad’ today. I feel agreeable using it. I started using it when I was young. A lot of us older people are still using it.” He predicts, however, that “6-7” will likely be a fleeting trend. “I think ‘6-7,’ next year, will be gone,” he said.
