WTF Is 6-7? (Plus 8 Other Gen Alpha Slang Phrases to Know This School Year)

As a mom to an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old daughter, I have been surprised by growing communication barriers. I mean, we all speak the same language…but do we? If, like me, your tween and teen are increasingly using words that are, well, unrecognizable and seemingly meaningless, take heart: I have rounded up and (attempted) to define the most common Gen Alpha slang for your edification. Use this information wisely, but I would advise against trying to adopt any of the slang yourself. OK, Unc?

Like most things Gen Alpha, there’s not a coherent meaning to this slang phrase. It supposedly came from the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by Skrilla which features the recurring lyric, “6-7,” then became linked with a basketball player of the same height, LaMelo Ball, who got some shade from a commentator who said that he played like a smaller athlete on the court. Now, tweens, content creators and even basketball players have adopted the phrase and use it in pretty much any and every context because, well, it has no concise meaning whatsoever. That said, Editor-in-Chief Jillian Quint has observed her own tween son using this slang as a way to express ambivalence, like “so-so” or “mid” (but more on that second one below).

In a Sentence:

“OK, I tried really hard not to burn the pancakes. How did they turn out this time?” “6-7.”

2. Bet

Remember when it used to be a thing to say “word”? Like when you rant to your BFF about how shitty it is that guys think they can just ghost you and your friend says “word.” Well, “bet” is the new word and it has the same meaning—namely, something to the effect of yes/agreed or even a more emphatic “sing it sister!”

In a Sentence:

“This is going to be our best school year yet.” “Bet!”

3. Mid

This one is pretty straightforward, but mid (as you probably guessed) means in the middle; as in, not that great and not that bad. Expect to hear this one a lot, since the air of indifference associated with mid is what makes it cool.

In a Sentence:

“Not gonna lie, McDonald’s is kind of mid.”

4. Low-key

We are all familiar with low-key, but Gen Alpha kids are using it differently. Us millennials might say that we just want to have a low-key birthday this year; Gen Alpha, on the other hand, wants everything to be low-key. For example, they might throw the term in front of an adjective that would otherwise express the exact opposite. (See the example below.) It can also be used as a substitute for “sort of.” Much like mid, low-key is used by Gen Alpha to avoid expressing enthusiasm in the interest of sounding cool.

In a Sentence:

“I’m low-key excited for the concert Friday night.”

5. Cap

When Gen Alpha kids say cap, they’re not referring to the headwear. In Gen Alpha speak, cap basically translates to “lie.” So if your friend tells you something that you think is an embellishment or a flat-out untruth, you might respond with “cap.”

In a Sentence:

“My dad says he’s going to get me a new car and it’s going to be a Porsche.” “Bro, stop the cap.”

6. No Cap

This kind of goes without saying, but no cap is simply the opposite of cap. In other words, it’s what you tack on the end of a statement to indicate you’re not lying. Sort of like “swear to God!” or “no joke!”

In a Sentence:

“OMG, he just DM’d me and asked me out! No cap!”

7. Chicken Jockey

I would like to define this phrase for you, but—once again–it really has no discernable meaning. It is basically just the new skibidi toilet and serves the same purpose—namely to fill any moment of silence in the most nonsensical way. Say it whenever you feel the need, in any context, because it’s basically just a verbal tic. Though I’d be remiss not to mention that I’ve also been told that kids are especially fond of shouting this at the screen, Rocky Horror Picture style, during the Minecraft movie. (In fact, its origin is from the Minecraft video game—a chicken jockey is a rare mob of tiny baby zombies riding on the back of full-sized chickens. I told you this one made no sense).

In a Sentence:

“Hey, what’s up?” “Chicken jockey.”

This one originates with Roblox where one of the most popular gaming experiences is a variation based on the Italian Brainrot trend. The phrase is no longer used exclusively in a gaming context, though; instead, it has morphed into an expression that can be used to call someone out for using the same completely absurd and senseless slang as you.

In a Sentence:

“Hey, what’s up?” “Chicken jockey.” “Bro, you stole my brainrot!”

9. Unc

Here, an abbreviation of “uncle” that the Gen Alpha crowd likes to use to humorously describe anyone older (or anyone who’s acting older) and out of touch. According to social media, this is one that teachers are hearing a lot—directed at them, of course—but it’s not malicious, just a mildly dismissive acknowledgment of a generational gap. For what it’s worth, I’m sort of surprised my kids still call me “mom” instead of “Unc.”

In a Sentence:

“I have no idea what 6-7 means but can you please start talking to me in a language I recognize?” “Yeah, sure thing, Unc.”