To Australians like me "thong" means a kind of sandal such as recently repopularized by the Havaianas brand but we know it means a kind of G-string in other English-speaking parts of the world.
To most English-speaking people in the 21st century it seems "flip flop" (or "flip-flop") is the term for the sandal-like footwear.
But several times I've come across suggestions that "thong" used to be used for this kind of sandal in North America.
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I'm pretty sure I came across it in the novel A Confederacy of Dunces, written in 1960s New Orleans. But perhaps it was in another American novel from that era.
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There's this comment on the talk page of the Wiktionary "thong" entry:
Note: Usage in U.S., particulary Southern California. (Prior to 1980's, perhaps later). Thong is exclusively footware (sandal), not related to undergarments or bathing suits. The usage of thong as G-string (bathing suit or underwear) is post 1980's?
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Etymonline states that flip-flop meant "thong sandal," by 1972; but for thong states:
As a kind of sandal, first attested 1965; as a kind of bikini briefs, 1990.
As an amateur etymologist and lexicographer I'm very interested to know:
- During which years and which parts of North America were flip flops called thongs?
- Does anybody still call them thongs anywhere in North America?
- Did flip flops only replace thongs due to the latter term picking up the new sense of G string around the 1980s / 1990s?
Or to put it in a single question, What is the history of the term thong as a kind of sandal in North American English?
Best Answer
I grew up in New York (born in Nov 1968) and when I was a child they were called "thongs". In the very late 70s my family moved to Seattle and there they were also called "Thongs". I only became aware of the term "flip-flops" in the late 80s and found it humorous that a g-string would be called a "thong". (I can still recall my adolescent thoughts regarding the idea of comparing butt-cheeks with toes :)
I now live in Germany, so I may be a bit out of touch with some of the current trends.
I find it interesting that "young people" in America today giggle when we "old people" call them "thongs" and they need to "correct" us.