It likely means his friends are embarrassing.
And I get it, as far as that goes. Sometimes, you grow up faster than your friends, or you outgrow your friends in some respects, yet you don't want to "dump" them. So you cling to friendships even if doing so is a bad idea.
That said, your guy is being dumb. You're going to meet his friends eventually, as it's not like he can just shove you under a rock every time they drop by. Tell him to man up, set a time, and introduce you to at least a few of them. If they act like jerks, hey, at least he warned you.
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My friend ditched me, how do I get him to step away for a second?
I kinda get it actually. I have a lot of guy friends, and they tend to be jerks to other guys. And so with my new guy I told him that I want him to meet them eventually, but that it might take some time and when he does, they could be jerks. It's kind of scary because you don't want your jerky friends to reflect on how you feel. I also didn't want him to think I was ashamed of him though.
Now they've met once, and nothing terrible happened at least. So I guess I'm in the clear.
I would say, to the asker, to be patient and just know that, while yes, it's stupid to have friends like that, there's probably a reason why he's hesitant and it's most likely to protect you.
That's what it was for me at least.
It's a common excuse men give when they're cheating with someone and don't want to be judged by his friends...
Well, didn't see that coming, but he turned out to be married! I got out of under that rock, rather suffocating but was told it was all in my head. Got myself a boost of self-esteem, plus a bonafide single hunk. Thanks Mr X.