Two women who have both been with the same guy — separately, at different times — are called “Eskimo sisters.” That’s the whole definition. It’s slang, it’s casual, and it almost always comes with a laugh.
So Why Does This Term Even Exist
There’s a specific social situation this term was built for. You’re talking to someone new, stories start coming out, and suddenly you both realize — oh. Same guy. Different time. Now what?
That moment needed a name. “We have overlapping romantic histories” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue at a party. So slang filled the gap, the way it always does.
The term didn’t come from some official place. It spread through college scenes, group chats, and eventually reality TV until it just became a known thing. Urban Dictionary has had entries for it since the early 2000s. Love Is Blind basically handed it a megaphone when cast members started making those discoveries on camera.
The Feeling Behind It Matters More Than the Definition
Knowing the literal meaning is the easy part. The interesting part is why people reach for this term specifically.
It reframes something that could feel competitive or uncomfortable into something almost sisterly. Two women finding out they share an ex could go several directions — awkward silence, subtle sizing each other up, or just mutual eye-rolling over the same person. The term nudges it toward the third option.
There’s also something quietly empowering about it. Using the phrase signals: I’m not threatened, I’m not comparing myself to you, I think this is actually kind of funny. That’s a lot of emotional maneuvering packed into two words.
It’s not always that smooth in practice. But that’s the intent behind the tone.
How It Shows Up in Real Conversations
It rarely gets announced formally. Someone figures it out mid-conversation and just says it — usually followed by a reaction rather than an explanation.
“Hold on. Jake? That Jake? Oh we are absolutely Eskimo sisters.”
It lives in group chats, post-party recaps, and those long late-night conversations where everyone’s swapping stories. It also shows up in reaction comments under dating drama videos, usually from someone who just recognized a name.
What it doesn’t show up in: work emails, first introductions, formal settings, or any situation where the other person might not take it as a compliment. More on that in a second.
When the Same Words Mean Something Different
This is where people trip up.
Said between two friends who are both completely over the guy? It’s a bonding moment. Maybe even a running joke.
Said by someone you just met, with a strange energy behind it? That’s not the same thing. Same words, completely different message. It can come across like they’re trying to establish some kind of ranking — like they’re telling you something about the situation rather than just laughing at it.
The unbothered version of this term only works when both people genuinely are unbothered. If even one person is still processing feelings about the guy, using it feels dismissive — like you’re making a punchline out of something they haven’t finished feeling yet.
Read that in the room before you say it.
The Cultural Problem Most People Don’t Know About
A lot of people use this term without knowing that “Eskimo” is considered offensive by Inuit communities across Canada and Alaska. It’s an outdated colonial label that Indigenous people have consistently asked outsiders to stop using.
The slang also borrowed from a myth — the idea that Inuit men shared their wives with guests as hospitality. Anthropologists have largely identified that story as colonial-era exaggeration. So the term was built on a stereotype, and that stereotype wasn’t even accurate.
None of this means everyone using it is acting with bad intent. Most people in a group chat at midnight have no idea about any of this history. But it explains why you’ll see people pushing back on the term or switching to alternatives — they’re not being overly sensitive, they just know the background.
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What People Use Instead
The alternatives aren’t as catchy, which is honestly why the original keeps circulating. But some have gained real traction:
“Overlap sisters” — same meaning, no cultural baggage, and it’s genuinely starting to catch on in younger online spaces.
“We’ve got a mutual ex” — boring but clean. Works in any setting.
“Ex-link” — more of a descriptor than a title, but people use it.
“Shared ex club” — this one leans into the joke without the problematic framing.
None of them fully replace the original’s energy. That’s just the honest truth. But “overlap sisters” comes closest and it’s the one most likely to stick around long-term.
Real Examples — Different Situations, Different Tones
“She walked in and I just knew. We laughed about it for an hour. Instant Eskimo sisters.”
“Apparently we’re overlap sisters now. I found out through a mutual friend. Weird day.”
“I don’t use the Eskimo thing anymore but basically — yeah, we’ve got the same guy in our past.”
“She brought it up like it was a power move. That wasn’t the vibe.”
“The Love Is Blind girls finding out mid-season is the most chaotic version of this I’ve ever watched.”
“Two of my coworkers figured out they were Eskimo sisters. HR was not involved but probably should have been.”
“We joke about it now. At the time it was weird. Took a few weeks to get there.”
Where the Term Lives Online vs. Real Life
On TikTok it shows up constantly in dating commentary, story-time videos, and reality TV recaps. Twitter (X) uses it in reaction threads. It’s baked into a certain kind of online dating culture humor.
In real life — among actual friend groups — it’s more situation-dependent. Younger people in their twenties tend to drop it casually. People a bit older either use it less or reach for it more deliberately, usually with a knowing tone rather than a spontaneous laugh.
Gen Z is actually the generation most likely to and least likely to use it. Some have fully switched to “overlap sisters.” Others don’t think twice about the original. It’s one of those terms that’s mid-transition right now — still widely used, but visibly shifting in certain spaces.
What Gets Misread About This Term
The biggest one: people assume it means the women involved are or became friends. That’s not part of the definition at all. You can technically be Eskimo sisters with someone you’ve never spoken to and never will.
Another one: some people connect it to “Eskimo kisses” — the nose-touching gesture — and think the phrase is related to kissing the same person. It’s not. Completely separate slang origin.
And occasionally someone hears it and thinks it’s an insult directed at the women — like it’s reducing them. That reaction isn’t completely off-base as a critique of the term itself, but it’s not the intent behind how it’s typically used. Usually the women are the ones saying it about themselves.
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FAQs Worth Actually Answering
Does this term only apply to straight women?
Originally yes, but people adapt it. “Eskimo siblings” shows up in queer contexts. Language stretches.
Is it always said as a joke?
Mostly, but not always. Sometimes it’s said with genuine warmth — as in, we’ve been through similar things with this person, we get it. Other times it’s used to deflect discomfort. The joke is often doing emotional work.
Is there an “Eskimo sisters” movie?
There’s a low-budget indie film by that name. It plays the concept for comedy. It never went mainstream — most people who know the term have never heard of the film.
What if the guy is still in the picture?
That changes everything. This term works best in the past tense, when everyone’s moved on. If the guy is currently involved with one of the women, using it gets genuinely complicated and probably shouldn’t be deployed casually.
Is it offensive to use?
The Indigenous language concern is real and worth taking seriously. Whether it’s “offensive” in the moment depends on context and company — but there’s enough documented pushback from Inuit communities that it’s worth knowing before you decide whether to keep using it.
One Last Thing
This term has stayed alive because it does something useful — it gives people a light way to navigate a genuinely strange social situation. That’s not nothing. Slang that earns its place usually earns it by being emotionally accurate, even when it’s technically messy.
Whether you use it or swap it out for something cleaner is your call. But at least now you know exactly what you’re working with.
Hi, I’m the creator of Legacystance.com, dedicated to making English learning simple and enjoyable. I write clear, practical guides on adjectives, verbs, idioms, pronunciation, spelling, and more. Every article is carefully researched to give accurate, easy-to-understand information. My goal is to help readers improve their English skills confidently, one step at a time, with content that is trustworthy, useful, and beginner-friendly.
