A woman's guide to the "Bro Code"

The "Bro Code" is a set of guidelines and rules by which some men choose to live - it governs how they interact with women and with their friends. We've broken down some of the more important (and entertaining) rules...

The Bro Code was the brainchild of the television series, How I Met Your Mother. The character of Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) has updated the Bro Code throughout the lifetime of the show so that there are now at least 150 rules that men need to bear in mind when functioning socially with other men and with hot women. Obviously, it's beyond the scope of this article to list them all, but I did pick out a few of my favourites for your amusement.

If it comes down to a choice between your bros and your girlfriend, you always help your bros out first. Unless your girlfriend is super-hot and ready to have sex right that minute. Then your bros are on their own.

Never, ever let on that you might be attracted to another bro's woman. Never discuss her body, even if your bro asks you to agree that she's “super-hot”. Another important rule about girlfriends is, “No sex with a bro's ex.”

A bro gets a free pass for doing something stupid as long as all the other bros were doing it, too. (This rule sounds a little like the standard parental scolding, “If all the other kids jumped off the bridge, would you do it, too?” “Er…yes.”)

A bro is allowed to own a dog, but that dog must be at least as tall as the bro's knee when it is fully grown. And, no, you can't slide on this one by getting a teacup poodle and naming it ‘Killer'.

Two bros can go to see a movie together, but it must be a matinee, and each must buy his own drink and bucket of popcorn (no sharing). Bros may watch adult movies together - in fact, they are encouraged together - but they must not allow any body parts to touch during a sex scene. Finally, a bro never rents a chick flick, though he may watch one if his super-hot girlfriend rents it.

A bro can only cry when he is 1) watching E.T.; 2) watching Field of Dreams; or 3) watching the retirement of a sports legend (only the first retirement - subsequent retirements don't count).

There is a certain protocol that must be followed exactly. When the bill arrives, each bro makes a grab for it and claims he wants to pay the whole thing. They argue who should pay the substantial ticket until they finally reach the inevitable conclusion that each bro should pay for his own share. No matter how broke he is, a bro should never admit that this decision is a relief.

When ordered a choice between two sizes of beer, a bro must always take the larger size. If one bro orders a round of drinks for everybody, the other bros in the party must reciprocate. The one legal loophole is if one of the bros orders a drink with an umbrella.

So, ladies, next time you think your boyfriend is just being simple-minded, remember that he may be playing in his role in a long, time-honoured tradition: The Bro Code.

Author : Staff Contributor