noun General Slang

Thongs

/θɒŋz/ · noun · informal

Flip-flops — the rubber footwear, not underwear, and confusing the rest of the world endlessly.

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Definitions

1

Considered acceptable everyday footwear in casual Aussie settings.

“He wore thongs to the job interview, bold move.”
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2

By extension, the casual summer lifestyle they represent.

“It's a thongs-and-boardies kind of weekend.”
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3

Flip-flops: open rubber sandals held on by a strap between the toes.

“Chucked on my thongs and headed to the beach.”
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Thongs In A Sentence

Snapped a thong walking to the shops, classic disaster.
No shoes, no worries — just grab your thongs.
Aussies abroad calling sandals 'thongs' causes endless confusion.

Origin & Usage

From the Old English 'thong' meaning a strap. In Australia and New Zealand it refers to flip-flops; elsewhere 'thong' shifted to mean skimpy underwear, creating cross-cultural confusion.

People Also Ask

What does thongs mean in Australia?

Thongs are flip-flops — rubber sandals with a toe strap, not underwear.

Why do Aussies call flip-flops thongs?

The word 'thong' originally meant a strap, and Aussies applied it to the strap-between-the-toes sandal before the underwear meaning took over elsewhere.

What are double pluggers?

Double pluggers are thongs with two anchor points on the strap for extra durability — a bogan footwear classic.

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