Bromance is a special kind of relationship that I, as a 21-year old female, will never get to experience. For those of you who don't know what a bromance is, urban dictionary defines the term as "descriptive of the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males." Because feminism is a thing, there is a word for us too — womance. I have never actually heard this word used before, nor will I ever use it because it just doesn't sound as cool as "bromance." And sorry ladies, but I don't think we'll ever have a relationship quite like a bromance.
But I have a brother, lots of guy friends and I watch a lot of TV, so I have a good idea of what I'm missing out on. So for all those out there who aren't sure what's going on with your significant other and their best friend, let me explain what I know.
First thing is the greeting. Some bros have created their own handshake to greet each other, usually involving multiple complicated steps that it takes time and patience to perfect.
Others go in for the forearm shake. Which, thanks to my research for this article, I know is supposedly from the times of Roman gladiators. Whether or not this is true, this type of handshake involves squeezing the forearm of the other person, maybe to prove masculinity. I don't know. I just know that it hurts.
Then there's the third type, the symbol of the ultimate bromance.
In this type of bromance there are literally no boundaries and the bros are so enthralled by the other this is how they greet the other, even one of their significant others is around.
The second thing I've noticed about bromance is kind of going off that last point, how they act when their significant other is around. Sometimes the bromance can effect the most important moments in the bro's romantic lives.
Sometimes bromance moments are so tender they even take from the most romantic of cinematic moments.
Just in general questionable, somewhat intimate behavior is bound to happen, just get used to it.
But you can find your new best friend when her bro finds his romantic partner, so there are perks for you too!
Just hope you like them, because the bro and whatever girl he's with will probably be in your lives for a long time. Because bromance is real. Sometimes it even leads bros to forget where the lines are drawn that keep the "b" in front of the romance:
But don't worry girls, if you're in a committed relationship with a guy who's also in a bromance, you're still their number one. All in all, bros in a serious bromance is a good thing. It means your guy is capable of showing their emotions and that they're not ashamed of them. Which will probably help with your relationship, actually. So if you see a bro in a successful bromance, it probably means he'd be pretty solid relationship material. As for everything else involved in a bromance, well, you would have to ask an actual bro.
