The Meaning of Thongs in Australia

[+ Avalon]

https://www.tripsavvy.com/what-are-thongs-in-australia-1464080

 

Not what it means here in the USA:)

[njr47]

For those of us over a certain age (in my case, 70), "thongs" are what we called this type of sandal/flipflop in California.

[+ azdr0710]

my family called them go-aheads when I was kid......(you can't go backwards in them)......I mentioned this a little while ago here on the forum and a few people from SoCal said that term was common back in the day......

[MikeBiDude]

few people from SoCal said that term was common back in the day......

I was one of them!

[+ sync]

For those of us over a certain age (in my case, 70), "thongs" are what we called this type of sandal/flipflop in California.

 

That's what we called them in New York.

[Oscar Not Wilde]

Growing up in the late 60s in the Midwest US we called them thongs, too.

[+ Avalon]

Being of a certain age when that name seems to have been common for the footwear I don't remember them being called that.

[Epigonos]

I understand that they originally came from Japan. U.S. Service Men and Women first encountered them in the immediate aftermath of World War II. At that time people in the service frequently called them "Jap-Flaps". Certainly not an acceptable term today. Many sailors adopted them for the use in gang showers. My brother-in-law always called them shower shoes. I grew up here in Southern California and am familiar with all of the following: flipflop (current term), go-aheads, shower shoes, and thongs.

[+ Avalon]

It's like when I wanted to find info on the younger son of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus whose name was Geta when I google the first thing I find is a Japanese footwear.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(emperor)

[RM]

Growing up in the late 60s in the Midwest US we called them thongs, too.

Even in California I still call them thongs. We used to call them zories, also.

[+ bashful]

For those of us over a certain age (in my case, 70), "thongs" are what we called this type of sandal/flipflop in California.

 

As @Oscar Not Wilde remembers, I too called them thongs in Michigan.

[rvwnsd]

I grew up in Chicago in the 70's and 80's. Those types of sandals were called "thongs." "Flip-flop" is a relatively recent term.

 

@Avalon , do you truly not know these bits of common knowledge or are you messing with the rest of us?

[+ purplekow]

It's like when I wanted to find info on the younger son of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus whose name was Geta when I google the first thing I find is a Japanese footwear.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(emperor)

GETA TA HERE

[BabyBoomer]

"Flip-flop" is a relatively recent term.

 

That's what we called them in the 50's & 60's when I was growing up.

 

~Boomer~

[+ Avalon]

I grew up in Chicago in the 70's and 80's. Those types of sandals were called "thongs." "Flip-flop" is a relatively recent term.

 

@Avalon , do you truly not know these bits of common knowledge or are you messing with the rest of us?

 

I plead ignorance. I led a sheltered life. When I hear thong I think of clothing.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thong_(clothing)

[amused1]

Out east, in the early 60s, we called them zories.