No One Will Know If It Happened On Friends Or On How I Met Your Mother

Whether we love Friends (1994-2004) or we love How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014) (or perhaps even both!) it doesn't matter. Sure they share some similarities, but they were created in different generations, so their jokes had to be different.

So, yes, we watched two gangs of friends drinking coffee or drinking beer and we loved every second of it. We loved it because every time we rewatch either TV Show, we see them grow. We see them love each other fiercely, and we can't help but feel like we need to create a gang like that! A group of friends that we never get tired of, and we love sharing our news (and personal space!).

Central Perk and Maclaren's Pub are the places we dream of someday getting to see from up close. We wish that we could drink a beer in the regular booth or drink coffee (from those really big coffee mugs) in that particular couch. And who knows maybe someday some of us will!

Considering that these two TV shows have some similarities, only true fans can distinguish details between the two story-lines! Some of them are tricky, and others are not!

So let's start having fun by answering these questions!

Question 1

One of the gang doesn't share food

We all have a pet peeve or what the Urban Dictionary has defined as “something that is maybe a bit annoying to most people but is very annoying or upsetting to a particular person.” There is something someone does that we just can’t handle it. It could be talking loudly on the phone. It could be someone driving incredibly slow. And the list goes on and on. This particular member of the gang doesn’t like sharing food. He or she finds food to be very important and something that someone must enjoy on his or her own. Remember if that member of the gang was on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 2

One of the gang has been divorced three times

We’ve all heard someone say that most marriages tend to end in divorce. And although we can’t exactly deny that, we have to keep in mind that each case is unique! It seemed for a while that divorce rates were always rising, but maybe things have started to change! According to USA Today, “millennials get blamed for [changing] many trends, and the latest example might mean everyone's favorite generation to [dislike] is in it for the long haul after tying the knot, according to a new study.” There was a character in one of our two favorite TV shows that was divorced three times. Was he or she on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 3

One of the gang has a playbook

Now a playbook, according to the Urban Dictionary is “a collection of plays for each particular team. The term is most common in the game Football. The playbook is usually very long and some plays very complex. Each player must memorize every play that he might ever be told to execute.” We know, of course, that none of the members of each gang was a professional football player, so how come one of them had a playbook right? Well, he or she used it differently! Used to record every play one can perform in order to get a date, the playbook was someone’s favorite book! Remember if the playbook was included in the storyline of Friends or How I Met Your Mother?

Question 4

One of the gang was a teenage pop star

One member of the gang used to be a pop star, or a “person who is famous for singing pop music,” according to Wikipedia. Before we meet him or her, that character was known for singing songs such as “Let’s Go To The Mall” “Sandcastles In The Sand,” “P. S. I Love You,” and lastly “Two Beavers Are Better Than One.” It goes without saying that the rest of the members of the gang find this to be hilarious, so they constantly tease their former pop star friend (and we can’t get enough of that!). Remember if this teenage pop star was on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 5

One of the gang is an architecture professor

There are many types of architecture professors. Actually, according to Archdaily, there are 10: “the ‘on time’ professor, the ‘powerpoint’ professor, the ‘not so smart’ professor, the ‘questioning’ professor, the ‘sensible’ professor, the ‘friendly’ professor, the ‘neverending discussion’ professor, the ‘dictionary’ professor, the ‘comforting’ professor, and lastly the ‘tearer’.” Now we know that both gangs had a professor, but only one of them was an architecture professor. The only thing we can say for certain is that both of them wanted to be cool and inspiring! So was the architecture professor included in the Friends story-line or in the How I Met Your Mother story-line?

Question 6

One of the gang gives birth to her brother's triplets

There are many ways one can go about having a family. Unfortunately, sometimes there are some complications and prospective parents have to choose between other methods such as adoption. Another option is surrogacy, or what Wikipedia has defined as “an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman (the surrogate mother) agrees to become pregnant and give birth to a child for another person(s) who is or will become the parent(s) of the child.” One member of the two gangs decides to be a surrogate mother for her brother’s children. Remember if this happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 7

Two members of the gang made a slap bet

But what is a slap bet someone might ask! Well according to Urban Dictionary it’s “a bet where no money or property is involved, and the prize for losing is getting to slap the loser across the face. A slap bet is often monitored by a slap bet commissioner, that regulates the rules of said bet.” A slap bet between two members of one of the gangs is a recurring joke throughout the years. It started off in season 2, and it went on for years. Even if it was depicted many times, it was still included in a hilarious way into the narrative so we were never really bored! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your mother?

Question 8

One of the gang lived in Japan for a while

What happens when an ex decides to get married? Or better yet, what happens when an ex decides to get married, but we decide that we want them back? Well each person reacts differently. Someone might pretend like they don’t care and then try to push their current boyfriend/girlfriend of few weeks to marry them, and then unexpectedly try and stop the wedding of their ex, while others might decide to move away into another state or country. One member of the gang decides to move to Japan when she gets tired of her hob and also finds out that an ex is about to get married. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 9

One of the gang is a chef

All of the members of the two gangs have different professions. One of them is a chef. This brought some issues for the production. According to Wikipedia, “many critics of the show began to question how [this character] could ever afford the apartment on a chef's salary, so the writers of [the TV show] came up with the explanation that she illegally sublet the apartment.” Well living in Manhattan is quite expensive, so arguing that she wouldn’t be able to afford an apartment there is quite accurate! Regardless, that apartment is one of our favorite apartments from a TV show. Remember in which TV series one of the gang is a chef? Was it Friends or How I Met Your Mother?

Question 10

One of the gang has a twin sister

Giving birth to twins (or more babies) is more common nowadays. It turns out that there are multiple reasons for this. According to Better Health, some of those reasons are “advancing age of the mother, number of previous pregnancies, heredity, and assisted reproductive techniques.” Now even if raising twins has its challenges one can’t argue that twins usually have a very special bond because they grow up simultaneously. Perhaps sometimes that’s not the case, however, as we saw in one of these TV shows. One of the gang has a twin sister, but they don’t really get along. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 11

One of the gang has his/her thunder being stolen

It’s not every day that someone gets engaged! Now we’ve seen a lot of engagements over the years that these TV shows were running, and some of them are unforgettable. One of them was the female character’s dream come true. It was something she didn’t think she’ll ever have. So when it finally happened, she was ecstatic! Unfortunately, for her, something else happened that day as well. When she saw it, she complained that her “thunder was being stolen.” According to The Free Dictionary to steal one’s thunder is to “garner the attention or praise that one had been expecting or receiving for some accomplishment, announcement.” Did that happen on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 12

One of the gang moves to San Francisco to become an artist

Isn't it an artist's dream to move away from their current home and go on a journey to find themselves in the process? Well, yes! Whether we're talking for someone who paints, or someone who plays a musical instrument, like playing the guitar, moving away from the routine of our everyday life helps come into contact with ourselves! Of course, this isn't a possible scenario for everyone. For one member of our two gangs it was! She left New York for a while and went to San Francisco to see what she can do with her talent before she wakes up one day and realizes that she never chased her dream. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 13

One of the gang tries to make it rain

What if we want to spend a day with someone, but we can’t because they are going to go in another city for the weekend? Well we can either wait for them to come back or we can make it rain by dancing. According to Wikipedia, a rainmaking dance is one of the “best known examples of weather modification rituals” which has roots in North America, Africa, China, Thailand, and Europe. Well this happened on one of the TV shows. One of the gang actually made it rain. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 14

One of the gang had a monkey

We all wish we could have a pet (and sometimes that wish comes true!). While some go for a dog or cat or even a rabbit, one member of the two gangs went with a more exotic choice! He/she got a monkey! According to The Spruce Pets, there are “7 monkeys that are kept as pets: the capuchin, the chimpanzee, the macaque, the tamarin, the squirrel monkey, the marmoset, and the guenon.” The famous monkey was a capuchin monkey and we loved every episode he was in until he left! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 15

There is a guest star appearance of Brad Pitt

How many fans does Brad Pitt have? We can’t answer that! He’s wildly famous and incredibly loved! We all know him for many roles. Think of Seven, Inglorious Basterds, Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club, and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Well, he also guest starred in one of these shows! According to Comedy Central, “the whole world was really excited for Brad Pitt to go on [this TV show] because he [didn’t get along with a character] in the show, but was very close to” the actor portraying that character. Remember if Brad Pitt guest starred on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 16

Robots vs Wrestlers is a yearly tradition

Robots vs Wrestlers. Doesn’t it sound like an awesome idea for a fun night out? Well for one of the gangs it definitely does! After all, they even decided to make it a yearly tradition! We watched the very first Robots vs Wrestlers match toward the end of season 5, and we loved it! Now we can’t say for sure that this show is the reason (it’s been years since it ended) but according to Gizmodo there was actually a real Robot vs Human Wrestler match in 2019 (the very first one, out of the many we hope!). Remember if Robots vs Wrestlers was included on Friends or How I Met Your Mother?

Question 17

Two members of the gang lose their apartment by losing a bet

We all do crazy stuff with our best friends from time to time. We might decide to change identities for the day. We might want to spend days watching TV on our new big screen. We might go all around Manhattan in order to find the perfect burger. Who knows? Every night is a new adventure if we are with the right people! All of these things have been included in the plots of these shows. Another crazy idea one of the gang's had was to place a bet and whoever loses the bet loses his/her apartment. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 18

One of the gang takes a blue french horn from a restaurant's wall

Is there anything better than deciding what our house should be like? A house’s interior décor says a lot about us and our interests. Do we have books in our living room placed in a specific way? Do we have photos of family and friends here and there? Do we have edgy furniture or perhaps we’re into something more Bohemian? Now we couldn’t have seen this one coming, but while on a date one of the gang takes a blue French horn off a restaurant’s wall because his/her date liked it! The date as we see later on even keeps it in his/her living room! It turns out, according to Wikipedia, that this specific blue French horn is “actually an old-style mellophone.” Remember if this happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 19

One of the gang frequently says: "How you doin'"

It’s really hard to believe that fans of this show haven’t heard of this. It is after all one of the characters’ catchphrase. Now according to Wikipedia, a catchphrase is “a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass media. Some become the de facto or literal ‘trademark’ or ‘signature’ of the person or character with whom they originated, and can be instrumental in the typecasting of a particular actor.” Well it’s true! “How you doin’” is a phrase that we definitely use since that show came out! Remember if this catchphrase comes from Friends or from How I Met Your Mother?

Question 20

One of the gang has a stormtrooper at his/her apartment

There are so many star wars fans out there (and who can blame them? Star Wars is awesome!). Countless people have dressed like Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Han Solo etc. for Halloween. We have fans of Star Wars in both of our gangs! One of them, however, has to be the biggest since he/she has a Stormtrooper costume in his/her living room as décor! Now someone might wonder how much that would cost! According to Halloween Costumes, it’s priced at $69.99 (honestly, we thought it would be way more!). Remember in which TV show there was a Stormtrooper in one of the gang’s living rooms? Was it Friends or How I Met Your Mother?

Question 21

One of the main couples meets during college

College is a great time in our lives (albeit a somewhat difficult time as well depending on the circumstances). Sometimes we go away from our home and experience what it means to be away from one's family. We get to meet new people, and we get to understand ourselves a bit better than before! We learn a lot of new things, and we have a lot of new experiences! We don't see a lot about the college years of the two gangs because we follow their lives in their mid to late 20s. We have a glimpse of it in some of the flashbacks! In one of those flashbacks we see how one of the main couples meets during college! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 22

There is a ring bear in one of the weddings

A wedding day is one of the most important days in our lives. We are about to celebrate our love for another person. There are many traditions involving this ceremony and with each country the traditions change! One Western tradition that is very popular in the US, is the ring bearer or what The Spruce has described as “a young boy between the ages of 4 and 8 who has a special connection to the bride and groom. He may be related to them, or just be a family friend. His role is to carry the rings down the aisle to the couple.” In one of the weddings we watched on one of the shows, the ring bearer was actually a baby bear! Remember if this happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 23

Two members of the gang are siblings

We all know details about the lives of the members of both gangs. We know their jobs. We know their hobbies. We even know their favorite food in some cases. But, we also know their families. Some of them are only children, while others have a huge family. One of the most special parts that one of the gang has is that two members are siblings. It’s special because we see how nice it is for siblings to be close and best friends. It’s even greater that we never see any moments of serious sibling rivalry, or what Wikipedia has termed as “a type of competition or animosity among siblings.” No these siblings are very close! Remember if they are included in the story-line of Friends or of How I Met Your Mother?

Question 24

The gang goes to Barbados

Don’t we all love going on vacation and experiencing new things? One of the gangs went to Barbados toward the end of the series and what a hilarious trip that was! According to Wikipedia, Barbados is “an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies” and it “generally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known as the "wet season", this period runs from June to December.” Considering that the gang went there on wet season, it’s no surprise that one of the characters’ hair went wild due to the humidity! Remember if this happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 25

One of the gang gets his/her head stuck in a turkey

It’s not every day that someone gets his/her head stuck in a turkey. It’s Thanksgiving day, and one of the gang cooks for the others. It goes without saying that the menu has a turkey since according to Wikipedia, “turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, to the point where Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called ‘Turkey Day.’” Well, before the turkey is cooked, another member of the gang decides that he/she is going to play a prank and wears the turkey. However, the turkey gets stuck in his/her head for a while which is quite hilarious! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 26

One of the gang fights with a goat

We all have had those occasional fights (verbally) once in a while. We've also seen bar fights (whether on a screen or real life or both). We see boxing fights on TV as a form of entertainment. But how many of us can say that we had to battle a goat? Well, one member of the two gangs can check it off from his/her bucket list (if it was there to begin with). He/she fought a female goat and lost (a fierce and beautiful goat indeed!). Remember if this particular fight happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 27

One of the gang goes to London to stop a wedding

The love of our lives is about to marry someone else in a different country. Quick what do we do? We let him/her to be happy because we love them unconditionally and wouldn’t want to stand in their way. We move to another state or country because we can’t stand it that they’re not with us. We go to the country our ex is marrying, for argument's sake let's say London, to stop the wedding because we know they’re making a big mistake. But will we be able to make in on time from New York? According to Skyscanner, a direct flight from New York to London is approximately 7 hours. So, we have a fighting chance! Remember if this imaginary scenario happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 28

One of the gang frequently says: "Challenge accepted"

There are many unforgettable catchphrases from both of these TV shows. For instance, we saw before Joey’s “How you doin’” from Friends. Catchphrases are many of the techniques used to build a character. We know Joey says “How you doin’” and when he says it, so it becomes one of the ways the character feels like a real person. There is another catchphrase that’s very popular and that is “challenge accepted.” According to Know Your Meme Challenge Accepted is “an expression used to indicate that the speaker is willing to attempt completing a difficult task. The phrase is often associated with a rage comic character illustrated as a stick figure with crossed arms and a smug facial expression.” Remember if this is a catchphrase from Friends or from How I Met Your Mother?

Question 29

The gang throws interventions

Besides hanging out, both gangs are very close and they stand by each other in every moment of need. That may involve helping them move, or getting them a date with one of our other friends, or helping them get over a break-up. Their support also came with an intervention, or what the Cambridge English Dictionary has defined as an “action taken to intentionally become involved in a difficult situation in order to improve it or prevent it from getting worse.” They do an intervention whenever they feel that one of their friends has got to stop doing something. They even have an intervention about having too many interventions! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 30

One of the gang gets a butterfly tattoo

So in an episode of season 3, one member of the two gangs get drunk and then experiences a blackout the next day. He/she can’t remember anything after a certain point of the night. It turns out that the previous night he or she had a butterfly tattoo on their back! The other members of the gang had a field trip over the jokes they got to say, and their friend decided that the tattoo must go. So he/she makes an appointment for tattoo removal. According to Wikipedia, tattoos are no longer “considered permanent, [since] it is now possible to remove them with treatments, fully or partially. The 'standard modality for tattoo removal' is the non-invasive removal of tattoo pigments using Q-switched lasers.” Well that’s exactly how that butterfly tattoo was removed! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 31

One of the gang frequently says: "Suit up!"

We all have our own personal style. We might like very casual clothes or we might like a more detailed and extravagant look. We might prefer comfort to fashion or we might care for both depending on our mood and day. One of the members of the two gangs loves suits and he tries to convince his friends to wear suits as well. That’s why he’s constantly saying “Suit up!” Now “Suit up!” isn’t just about putting on a suit! According to MacMillan Dictionary it refers to “getting ready for an activity by putting on a uniform or special clothes.” That makes sense because for him suits aren't just garments, they’re something so much more. Remember if this catchphrase is from Friends or from How I Met Your Mother?

Question 32

One of the gang has 7 sisters

Whether we have siblings or not is not up to us, but up to our parents. The most common number of offspring in Western cultures is two. That doesn't mean that people have to have two children. They might have one. They might have 10 or they might have none. It's entirely up to them. Some of the members of the gang were only children, for instance, while others had several siblings. One member of the two gangs has 7 sisters (now that is a big family!). Remember if that character was on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 33

One of the gang almost moves to Paris

Moving to a new town might be challenging. Moving to a new country might be more difficult. But moving to a different continent? Now that must be the most difficult of all! One of our favorite characters almost moves to Paris in the last season of the TV show. The move scares him/her, but it's a move that seems to be the right thing. Now that might be because he/she needs a change in life immediately or because it's a great life experience. Moving to Paris after all seems like an awesome opportunity. But love conquers all and that character remains in Manhattan. Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 34

One of the gang becomes a judge

We’ve seen a lot of different jobs in each TV show. An actor, a chef, a journalist, an architect, a kindergarten teacher that became an art consultant, a masseuse, and working in fashion. One member of the two gangs begins his/her journey with us in Law school, and by the end of the series he/she becomes a judge. That character becomes a judge for a State Court, but according to Find Law there are two types of courts: the Federal Court and the State Court. Well either way, dreams really do come true! Remember if that happened on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

Question 35

One of the gang wears a ducky tie

We've all made some wardrobe mistakes over the years. Perhaps we wore leather pants to a date for the very first time. Perhaps we accidentally wore a blouse that wasn't ours to begin with (again on a date). Perhaps we did everything right because some of us love fashion. Perhaps we wear suits everywhere because suits are awesome and make us look cool. What happens though when the day comes that we lose a bet and the winner asks us to wear a ducky tie for an entire year? Well, we do it because the alternative is something we really don't want to face. Remember if the ducky tie was on Friends or on How I Met Your Mother?

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