The stir caused by a simple number hasn’t been this significant since ’69.

The phrase “6-7,” which is humorously stretched to “six-seveeeeen,” is echoing through school corridors worldwide, including the fictional South Park Elementary. It’s become the whimsical catchphrase for Gen Alpha, spontaneously shouted in classrooms whenever a teacher mentions page 67, when lunch is six to seven minutes away, or sometimes for no apparent reason at all.

Gabe Dannenbring, a science instructor for seventh graders in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, remarked, “It’s almost like an epidemic—this number has captured their imaginations. Mention any form of 6 or 7, and you’ll have at least 15 students chorusing, ‘6-7!’”

One observer noted, “It resembles a phenomenon where language is used just for the sake of it, devoid of any significant meaning or reality.”

Though “6-7” has endured for nearly a year—a remarkably long lifespan in the fast-paced world of TikTok—some of Dannenbring’s students are beginning to tire of it, rolling their eyes when peers shout it. Meanwhile, middle school teacher and comedian Philip Lindsay has noticed new contenders emerging, such as “41,” another random number that inexplicably amuses the kids.

“41 was concocted to challenge 6-7,” Lindsay explained. “While 6-7 emerged naturally, 41 was more of a deliberate attempt.”

The way Dannenbring sees it, slang can get a lot worse than 6-7. Past trends have inspired students to stick pencils into their school-issued laptops to set them on fire or rip sinks straight off the walls of their school bathrooms.

“We’ve had those words before, like Skibidi toilet,” he said. “This one is significantly less annoying.”