The Word of the Year Isn't Even a Word?

 Episode 84 explores Dictionary.com's controversial 2025 "Word of the Year"—the number —and the explosion of meme culture in everyday language. The hosts debate whether numerals can truly count as words, and dissect what it means for a dictionary to embrace viral Gen Alpha fads as legitimate lexicon. They unpack the origin of 67 as slang: from a rapper's lyric and TikTok trends, to schoolyards and sports memes, to its status as an in-joke that, paradoxically, includes everyone in the fun.

Alongside plenty of real-life stories (including how a scout meeting devolved into a chorus of 6-7 jokes), the couple examines the language philosophy from "Findle," asking: is a word simply whatever enough people agree that it means? The show also touches on the psychology of belonging and why nonsense fads like 67 make it easy, for a brief moment, for anyone—kid or adult—to join an inside joke. They critique the dark origins of the number as a street reference but ultimately focus on its evolution into a lighthearted, inclusive meme.

Runners-up for Word of the Year are discussed (including "agentic," "tradwife," and "kiss cam"). The episode closes by questioning what dictionaries are now and whether other viral moments will claim word-of-the-year status before December ends. As ever, listeners are invited to weigh in on whether this kind of linguistic chaos should be celebrated or scorned.

Transcript

I Hate Talking: 0:29

Welcome to episode 84 of I Hate Talking. -- Hi -- everyone. So we'll jump right into our word or phrase of the episode, which contains neither letters nor a word, in my opinion. It's just numbers and a hyphen. Right, but it is a big part of our lives with the junior high and elementary school boys. And this is one of the very reasons that we do not use the dictionary, as in dictionary.com for our real words or phrases and instead rely on our favorite Oxford language dictionary and occasionally supplement that with Merriam-Webster's various dictionaries, especially the 1828 version. So, this is dictionary.com's 2025 word of the year. Right, yeah, I mean, I understand you don't like the dictionary.com, but I feel like we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about it. They just announced their 2025 word of the year, which is 67. Precisely. So it is that can say it 67. So, I agree, it is something in the meme culture, I suppose, but Still not a word. Right, I agree, it's not a word, so it is surprising that they have it. And it's surprising that it's on this podcast, but I think we can slide it into the phrase category. OK. Yeah, I think we need to talk about it first. Is it a word or how can dictionary.com Use it as a word. And second, I guess we need to define what is 67. So, dictionary.com, from what I read about it is, it has the numeral 6. A hyphen and then the numeral 7. So, that is how I guess they get around having that as a quote unquote word, it's all one string of characters, 67. So, Oxford Language Dictionary does not make any mention of this, so congrats to you, Oxford Language Dictionary, -- at -- least yet. That's true, not yet. We have hope though that you will not succumb to the meme culture. While we're looking this up. Tonight at Scouts, Adam was talking to the group, and he was like, I'm waiting for 6 or 7 of you left, and all the kids thought that was the funnest thing. They were all into that. Well, you didn't even give the context, so I'm trying to give some instructions about the construction project that we're about to do, and they are being normal boisterous kids, probably a little bit. Still amped up on the Halloween candy, probably still affected by the thing that we know as daylight savings time. And so on and so forth. So, we were doing the scout sign so that they would quiet down and as is per my usual routine, I'll say how many we're waiting on to quiet down so that we can proceed with said instructions, and I said, we're waiting on about 6 or 7, and that did not help because then they all went crazy again. They loved it so much, I thought you were so cool though. Well, I did not do it on purpose. So yeah, I thought you did at first until I looked at your face and realized, oh, -- he did not mean -- to do that. I did not mean to do that. No, I did not. I was actually trying to get them to be quiet. You were such a cool cup master to all these elementary school kids. You find it? See, it's not even a word, -- you can't even find -- it in their dictionary yet. I think I took a screenshot of it. I did find why they chose 67 as the word of the year. So I guess the reason, according to dictionary.com, that they chose it is because of its popularity and how quickly it rose. And meaning from June till now, it's risen sixfold. It has no signs of stopping, according to them. It originated from the song. 67 And the phrase in it, and I want to talk more about this phrase because I actually really like it. Obviously with TikTok and all that, it kind of went viral, and now it's what every elementary kid, essentially, or junior high kid is saying. A day does not go on in my homeschooling, that the kids find a 6 and a 7 on their math page or something like that. And get the instant 67. See, and they're in some way supporting this nonsensical term by even having it as a term at all. Well, to that point, again, with our elementary school kids, our 4th graders every year, they read a book called Findle. It's in our curriculum, and the concept, if you haven't read the book Findle, it's about a boy, and he learns that words are created because someone says that. And then everyone agrees, that's the word. OK. So then he decides to start changing the words for things. And gets the whole school on board changing words like a pen. You don't call it a pen, PN, you call it a findle now. The teacher, the principal, everyone gets mad about this, that he's changing the words, but he convinces them that as long as the masses agree, that's what we're calling this. Then that's the word. Every word is essentially made up, is his concept. And so we've been talking about that in school with 67, and everything else is just when you agree that this is as a collective, what it means, and that's what it means. And that's, I mean, essentially, right, the foundation of words. Yeah, I suppose so. I mean, the collective needs to agree and it still needs to have consistent meaning that can somewhat change over time with the variety of things that we even study in the etymology of various words that we look at on this podcast. But they had initially agreed that that's what that means, right? And then you just move on or you say this is that word, people say, OK, that's what that means. And then it can build as time goes on to mean other stuff or to elaborate other ways. Perhaps, I mean, that's how Merriam-Webster came about with his dictionaries is because people were using words in an inconsistent manner and it was leading to confusion. So he created the dictionary essentially and made sure that there was proper definition of all the words. Right. But he's saying like this is, but those words initially had to come from somewhere, right? They did, yes. So no matter what language you're speaking or whatnot, it always had an origin point. See, the dictionary.com even itself describes this particular term as quote unquote classic brain rot slang, end quote, and continues that quote, it's purposely nonsensical and all about being in on the absurdity, end quote. OK, isn't that crazy? I think that maybe in 20 years we'll look back. Like, oh yeah, brain rot, obviously, but that's such a new concept, a new phrase that it's interesting they're using it, but I think that it might not be a new thing in the future. Brain rot is a really good term to describe something. It's a good term for a bad thing, or, I mean, not even necessarily a bad thing, just something that isn't beneficial. I suppose so. I just find it humorous that dictionary.com is itself describing the term that they designated as word of the year as -- I can't -- even give it better, right? Can we, are you, do you wanna keep talking about this, or do you want to talk about Doctor Becky in this word? We'll get there. Apparently the CBC, which I guess is, what is the CBC, CBC News, CBC, is this, this must be. Canada, maybe Canada Broadcasting Channel, I don't know. I thought you're talking about like health. The CDC. That's what I thought at first. I see CBC CDC. This is, yes, it's gotta be something Canada cause it's, I'm on a Canadian website. So apparently they hate it. So, there, they shared a funny meme where they have a reaction video from the alphabet finding out that a number won the word of the year. Right. Now there were some other contenders that I thought were better. OK, what are the contenders? So I think they had 10 runners up and apparently these are in alphabetic order, not necessarily the order in which they lost to 67, but the first one is gen. So basically a term associated with AI describing technologies that can perform tasks autonomously and make independent decisions. So that basically comes from like agent and AI mashed up gentic are farming, social media and the kid on top of the racing boat that you've seen probably dancing. Nope. Well, I guess that was not as popular as 67, so I only got that one, right? Broligarchy, no, so like oligarchy but with bros, so it was typically used to describe relationships such as Elon Musk and President Trump, clanker. No. So that's an AI slash robot that is an imperfect robot. They are not performing at their peak, so they're a clanker. Here's another one that's not a word, dynamite emoji. The emoji. The emoji. So I'm glad that at least 67 beat an emoji because that would be even more ridiculous. Gen Z stare, that one I I'm not familiar with, but I guess that is referring to the perceived blank stare sometimes viewed across the younger generation. That experts say is because of how they have grown up in a digital world. OK, kiss cam. OK, I know that one. I know that phrase. That's a phrase that, yep. Over tourism. OK, I mean, I can imagine that. I don't feel like I hear that. Well, it's things that you specifically don't go to tourist traps because they're over touristed, right? OK, I'm making picture. I'm just saying I don't hear that word, but I see. I understand it, tariff. OK. Do they only choose words they like search Facebook. And the words that pop up generated the most often. They're like that's the word. And the last one, tradwife, which we already covered that one. We beat them, beat them to that, I guess we did do tariffs. That's right, kiss cam. There you go. We're more cutting edge than dictionary.com, but I guess maybe they do just search the social media and see what words are in the modern lexicon for that particular year. And that is the word of the year. OK. I do have a hard time calling it a word of the year, cause I don't feel like it's a word. But I do think it is a cultural thing right now, that will die down, obviously. So, if you do not know, we kind of just jumped right in. Probably most people do know what it is, but if you don't, if you're like, I have no idea what people are talking about, or what it even means, it came from a song originally, and then a TikTok basketball player, right? Quote a day after some famous shot or something is how I understand it to be. Yeah, and apparently his height is 6'7, so I think he was either using that as sort of like an association or fans associated that to him because it was the same number and -- the height of this particular basketball -- player. He like does this thing with his hands, goes up and down, open-handed, palm up, up and down. So somehow this got viral. It supposedly, everyone seems to agree that it means nothing, even dictionary.com calls it nonsensical, right? Like, and the point is it means nothing. And that was one thing I looked up when my kids started doing it. I didn't want them doing something if it had bad origins or inappropriateness or offensiveness, but everyone seems to agree that it literally means nothing. But The thing that I think is cool about it, I do it with my kids a lot, and I don't mind them doing it, is because of the psychologist, Doctor Becky, she did a theme, I mean, I probably wouldn't mind in general, cause of my personality. But she convinced me that it's actually a good thing. Because she was saying that the point of 67 is that a point of belonging. Maybe these kids are in class together and someone says 67. And you, this other kid isn't part of that clique, isn't part of that friend group, but he can instantly say 67, and they all can start saying it together. And for a very brief moment in time, a period of time, They are connected. And he's in the group And she's saying it's a part of belonging. That anyone can call out and be part of something like an inside joke. And I think that there's something really beautiful about that, that no matter who you are, You are included in this, because I often have a hard time with inside jokes. I don't like them for the most part. Because I don't like excluding people. When I do a party, I invite everyone because I hate excluding, I hate being excluded, so I project that. And don't want to ever exclude anyone, so then I overinvite everyone. So I feel like it's the same kind of thing for this brief moment of time. No matter who you are, you can be part of the in crowd, you can be part of this clique or friend group. By just saying that word. That's true. It does seem that that works and even you can accidentally create that particular context because I said those two numbers together and it was very popular, -- very -- popular. -- They all be talking about -- it. Remember Mr. -- Adams saying 6 -- 7? Well, maybe they'll be nostalgic for that event then, yeah. Now, I am the curious one that wants to know the meaning behind certain words, so I do agree that this is a cultural phenomenon that does have aspects of inclusivity and things like that with the sort of open inside joke where it's not necessarily a closed inside joke, but anybody can join in on that inside joke as you described from Doctor Becky. But the original meanings of the word 67 in the particular rap song, according to Psychology Today and this particular PhD that wrote this article. Robert Bartholomew. Refers to the fact that 67 appears to reference 67th Street in Chicago, an area known for crime and gun violence. So in the particular lyrics of the song, this particular person that is the subject of the song has committed a crime and leaves 6-7th Street in Chicago and hops on the highway. So maybe not the best historical use of that, but now is a viral meme and a nonsensical, quote unquote word that perhaps it is just what everyone makes it and the collective decides. So would you argue though, then that you don't like it because it comes from a potential dangerous street? Well, I think if it's used innocently enough and in the way that modern culture and the way that dictionary.com is using it, that it's fine, but if you're using it in a more divisive manner or negative manner where like you just did something bad and now you need a 67 dip on the highway or whatever it says, like, that's probably not a good use of the word, but I don't think that that is what the intent is nowadays. So, but there could be somebody that knows that, and now we've just informed them. So sorry about that, but that is the historical usage of 67 within that particular song. So what do you mean that knows that? I don't think any of the children that use this particular phrase know of the historical context of the 67 in the original song lyric. I was referring to gun violence. At least the young kids I know, they'll tell you it came from a song and that a TikTok basketball player. Did it, and that's when it went viral. That's what they'll tell you. So they get that concept. They don't know the song though. Nor have I ever heard this song. I've not either. I'm curious to listen to it now. I probably will not enjoy it, but -- I'll give it a try -- after we turn off the recording because we don't wanna get. That's true. It mentions baby shark, so can't be that bad, I guess. Wow. Sounds like a song that we could write about our lives then. Baby shark, 67. These are the words of our life. These are the words you'll be nostalgic for in 20 years. Perhaps so. So you, our listener will have to let us know if you agree or disagree with dictionary.com and their selection of the quote unquote word 67 for their quote unquote word of the year, or if you think that there was a better one out of the list of runner-ups, or even if you think dictionary.com even qualifies as a dictionary anymore. Can I argue too that I don't like what they posted. The word of the year already. Because we still have another 2 months left. So we've only done 56. Ah, it would have been so much better if it was 6/7 of the year over. That would have been so good, missed opportunity. That is true. I don't know. Maybe they're on an October release or November release for their particular words, and they just do that every October. What if something else goes viral before then? Well then that'd be the word of the year in 2026 from. November and December of 2025. I don't think they have a whole host of guidelines when they do this, so apparently not. So send us a text, email, or leave a comment and maybe there's somebody out there that would like to learn about 67 that is not aware of this viral word of the year. Yeah, share with them. Let them know. They can be in the in crowd too. Indeed. So, from your friends at I hate talking, until next time, remember, it is only through talking that we begin the journey to understanding.