thongs
In Australia, thongs are flip-flops: the rubber sandals with a strap between your toes. They are not underwear, which is the source of endless confusion for American visitors.
What thongs means
Wikipedia’s flip-flops article puts it plainly: flip-flops, or thongs in Australian English. They’re the default summer footwear in much of the country, worn to the beach, the shops and, in some households, a wedding. In the US and UK, a thong is usually a type of underwear, so “I forgot my thongs” means something very different depending on who’s listening.
New Zealanders call the same sandals jandals, and South Africans call them slops.
Examples
- “Take your thongs off before you come inside.”
- “I walked to the beach in thongs and burned my feet on the sand.”
- “It’s a thongs-and-shorts kind of barbecue.”
Where it came from
A thong is a strap, originally a strip of leather. The sandals take the name from the Y-shaped strap that passes between the first and second toes, which Wikipedia calls the toe thong.
Related terms
See more terms like this in our Australian slang guide.
Example sentence
Grab your thongs and a towel, we’re going to the beach.
Similar words
flip-flops, jandals (NZ), slops (South Africa)
Notes
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