This was a timely read for me. I've been really missing my friends back in Michigan of late. I went out last night with some chums here in NC, and they're great guys but nothing beats the friends you've had since you were young.

My wife is always quick to point out that thing that guys do but women don't. It's generally referred to as "ribbing". When you go back and forth one-uping the other in either insult or some other form of humor on a topic.

I read this and longed for evenings around a table with a bottle of scotch talking about politics, religion, music etc with my good guy friends. It's such a great time. He captured the essence of this really well imo. It's competitive but at the same time you're rooting for the other guy because you want the game of conversation to continue to elevate. Most women don't communicate this way, there isn't the competition and I tend to get myself in trouble when I try to communicate this way with my wife. What I see as a way to elevate a conversation, she may see as aggression or even as an insult. Men like insults, it provides an opportunity to hurl one right back. The punch/hug thing is certainly true. I have only punched 3 people in the face in my life and 2 of them were best friends. The next day, both of us hung over and battered... "hey man, sorry" and then life continues unchanged, except now we have a great story about that time we got in a fist fight. Guy friends, the good ones, are like brothers. It is a special thing.