Language is still new to them, and they find difficulty in expressing themselves. When on their own they burst into rhyme, of no recognizable relevancy, as a cover in unexpected situations, to pass off an awkward meeting, to fill a silence, to hide a deeply felt emotion, or in a gasp of excitement.”
This is the same way Gen Alpha kids today, to their teachers’ and parents’ consternation, drop “67” in the middle of conversations, or laugh uncontrollably when it comes up in math class.
The Opies went on, “And through these quaint ready-made formulas the ridiculousness of life is underlined, the absurdity of the adult world and their teachers proclaimed, danger and death mocked, and the curiosity of language itself is savoured.”
The ridiculousness and pointlessness of “67” is perhaps why it has succeeded so extravagantly as a meme, breaking out of the classroom to become Word of the Year: it perfectly encapsulates everything the Opies understood that kids need out of their private jokes.
— Read on www.atlasobscura.com/articles/67-meme-childrens-lore-iona-peter-opie
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