How-to

How to Do the 67 Hand Gesture (Step by Step)

Palms up, weigh the air, say the words. The complete guide to the six seven gesture, with the common mistakes that give you away.

· 2 min read · by the 67 team

Two white cartoon gloves palms up, one higher than the other, with lime motion lines

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The 67 gesture is the easiest dance move ever invented, which is exactly why doing it wrong is so obvious. Here is the correct form.

The gesture in three steps

  1. Hands out, palms up. Elbows bent, hands roughly in front of your chest, about shoulder-width apart. Fingers relaxed, slightly spread. Do not point.
  2. Weigh the air. Move your hands up and down alternately: left goes up while right goes down, then swap. Small movements, maybe ten centimetres. Think of an old-fashioned balance scale that cannot decide.
  3. Say it. "Six… seven…", one word per beat of the hands. Slight pause between the two. Optional: a confused look, as if the answer surprised you too.

That is the whole thing. Two seconds, done.

Common mistakes

  • Both hands together. Moving both hands up and down at the same time is a shrug. A shrug means "I don't know". 67 means nothing, which is different.
  • Too fast. The gesture is lazy by design. If you look like you are drying your nails, slow down.
  • Saying "sixty-seven". Never. Two words: six, seven.
  • Pointing at someone. That turns it into an accusation. Keep the palms up and open.
  • Adding extra numbers. "Six seven eight" is not a thing. Please do not make it a thing.

Variations that are allowed

  • The silent version. Hands only, across a room, during a test. This is the most common use in schools and the reason it got banned.
  • The one-hand version. For when you are holding a phone. Single hand, palm up, small wobble. Recognised but weaker.
  • The full-body version. Arms wide, eyes closed, scream. Reserved for basketball games and the last day of school.

When to do it

Any time a 6 or a 7 shows up: a clock, a price, a score, a page number, a bus route. Also acceptable as a greeting, an answer to "how are you", and a reaction to any statement you do not want to engage with.

When not to do it

Funerals, job interviews, and while a teacher is looking directly at you. For everything else, you are cleared.

In 67 Tap the two gloves on screen do the gesture every time you tap, so you can practise the timing without leaving the couch.

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