In brief: The tongue-in-cheek ranking of redundant phrases was topped by the abbreviation «6‑7». We examine why this internet meme made the Lake Superior State University's 50‑word list and what it means for speech culture — particularly in Ukraine, where precision of messaging has strategic importance.
About the list and its authority
The annual "List of Banished Words" of Lake Superior State University (founded in 1976) tracks phrases that, through overuse or misuse, lose their meaning. In 2025 the abbreviation «6‑7» took first place, having gone viral among Generation Z. The top ten also included the words demure, incentivize, perfect, gift/gifted, my bad and reach out.
"The list reflects conversational trends forming on social networks. Terms that spread without the context of intonation or body language are easily distorted and drained of meaning."
— David Travis, president of Lake Superior State University
Why «6‑7» became a hit — and whether it matters that Dictionary.com named it word of the year
First, it's an example of how in‑group internet jokes can quickly spill out of a platform and become a generational marker. Second, attention from major lexicographical resources (for example, Dictionary.com choosing it as "word of the year") adds breadth to the trend and makes it a subject of public discussion.
"Often it's more of an in‑group internet joke: the word lives within a narrow circle and loses contact with the broader linguistic context."
— Editors of Dictionary.com
What it means for Ukraine: language culture, identity and security
For the Ukrainian reader three practical consequences are important. First, youth creativity is a cultural resource that should be understood and used, not simply dismissed as "nonsense." Second, ephemeral memes show how easily information loses precision — critically important when communicating about security and aid. Third, language adapts: trends come and go, but it is up to us which borrowings take root in our culture of usage.
Outlook
Analysts and lexicographers mostly agree: viral words often fade quickly. A quick wave of attention does not mean a long‑term change in language. At the same time, such phenomena are a useful reminder: in the battle for attention clarity of message, not volume, matters. For Ukraine this means preserving linguistic precision and adaptability — values that work both in culture and in information security.
