The concept of Eskimo brothers/sisters is not regarded consistently by the New Trier student body. While some consider it to be a gross and unnecessary acknowledgment of past hookups, other students find it an amusing and lighthearted source of connections.
Urban Dictionary defines Eskimo brothers as “when two males acknowledge having been intimate with the same female and remain on good terms. The men are now bonded by having shared the same igloo at one time or another.”
Because this is high school, the term is used more generously to refer to simply mutual hookups, not necessarily sex. The correlating definition is true for Eskimo sisters.
The phrase “Eskimo brothers” was supposedly first introduced by the sitcom, “The League.” However, the phrase itself references the belief that Inuit men historically “lent” their wives to guests as a sign of hospitality, though the accurateness of this statement is greatly disputed.
Contrary to the Urban Dictionary definition, not everyone feels an immediate bond with their Eskimo brother/sister or even wants to acknowledge the concept.
“It is kind of a weird thing, being like, ‘Hey I made out with that guy too’ and suddenly having this bond with a girl,” a junior girl said, “especially if you don’t really know her well.”
“When I’m talking to a guy and we know we’re Eskimo brothers, it can be awkward,” a sophomore guy said. “Depending on the guy and the situation, sometimes it feels a bit competitive about who went further.”
This competitive aspect is a prevalent concern. “It’s easy to get caught up on figuring out who else a guy has hooked up with and wondering where you rank compared to them,” a senior girl said.
“Most people are past the point where it’s their first hookup, but drawing attention to past hookups seems uncomfortable.”
However, not all find the concept to be strange and unneeded. For some, being Eskimo brothers or sisters is a source of friendship.
A sophomore girl got talking to a KW classmate about her weekend, and the two discovered that they had hooked up with the same guy within a couple of weeks. “We started talking about the weird things he did and how awkward he was afterwards,” she said. “We laughed so hard and now we’re friends.”
“A guy and I hooked up with the same girl one night at a party,” a junior guy said. “We fist bumped and said ‘spect to each other. We had a moment.”
With groups of friends, often all the guys will end up hooking up with all the girls in the group within some point in time.
“My guy friends have hooked up with mainly the same girls I have, because we are always together so are always with the same girls,” a senior guy said.
“Friend-cest is funny, because when you’re hanging out with your group, you can look around and know almost everyone has hooked up with each other,” a junior girl said. “We’re like a big family. But not in a weird way.”
However, some think that Eskimo brothers/sisters go too far. “I think it’s gross. Yes, people have hooked up with each other before, but drawing attention to it makes things uncomfortable, especially if things didn’t end well,” a senior girl said. “I don’t want to hear about everyone’s personal life.”
One senior girl argues that Eskimo sisters are important when making decisions. “When I hook up with a guy who has hooked up with lots of popular girls, I am considered more popular. But if I would become Eskimo sisters with lots of weird girls, then I won’t hook up with the guy. Knowing who your sisters would be is good for deciding whether the hook up is worth it,” she said.
Overall, those who do choose to acknowledge the concept of Eskimo brothers/sisters believe it is just for fun, with no harm done. A junior guy said, “At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone really cares about who their Eskimo brothers or sisters are. It’s mainly just for joking around.”