This is one of those random thoughts.
What do you call these?
What do you call these?
In Hawaii they call them slippers. My kids call them flip-flops.
I grew up calling them something else. My kids cringe and/or laugh when I use that word. I know them as "thongs". Apparently that means something else to them. I will says something like "Has anyone seem my thongs" and the girls go nuts.
Well, I was at our local Calgary Co-op the other day and look what I saw.
The sign says they have Camo thongs on sale - I couldn't find them.
(This was for you Wilma - the only other person in the world who will think its funny)
If Calgary Co-op refers to them as thongs - they must be thongs. I'm not as crazy as my kids think I am.
I did some research. Here is what I found.
Did you know that thongs were inspired by the woven Japanese zori? (Aren't the Japanese great?)
They are called flip-flops because of the noise they make when you walk. They are thought to have been invented in New Zealand. Flip-flops are also known as jandals (japanese sandal) in New Zealand, chappel in India, slip-slops in South Africa, go-aheads in some South Pacific islands, ojatas or chancetas in Spanish speaking countries and chinelos in Brazil.
And they are still called "thongs" in Australia, Canada and the United States. (So I'm not alone)
Trivia: On July 19, 2005, some members of Northwestern University's national champion women's lacrosse team were criticized for wearing "flip-flops" to the White House to meet with President George W. Bush. The women pointed out that their shoes were not "beach shoes," but were dressier thong sandals.
8 comments:
since being in hawaii I have gotten into the habit of calling them slippers. Although I prefer Flip-Flop over thong... but that's just me.
Like "camouflage", "thongs' never get old either...
It's still more natural for me to call them "thongs" instead of "flip flops" but, I try my best to say flip flop.
Did I ever tell you about the day I came home from shopping and innocently said to Nicole (thinking she would be excited),
"Nicole, I bought us matching thongs!
She was bewildered and didn't know what to think.
hmm.. Maybe I should get a pair of ladies floral thongs..
HAHAHAHAHAHA I just read auntie wilmas comment. HAHAHA You know I've heard of people trying to be best friends with their kids, but where do you draw the line??? and who is going to see them?
ahhh... matching thongs...
... ok, I just thought about it and I wear the same type of underwear as my mom... AND my grandma.. it's weird when you think about it.
and I too call them slippers. Just for the record.
Great observation Doug.
I laughed at Wilma's "matching thongs".
I call them "thongs" too. . . I guess we have to carefully what we call them in public.
Funny post...yes, Doug they have always been 'thongs' to me.
Perhaps you could do some research and post why the 'other' piece of clothing was given a name that was already in use for footwear.
Thongs to me will always be foot wear. I try to just avoid the use of the word . I just say wheres your thongs ==or whatever you call those things you wear on your feet.
I too wonder how the word thongs became underwear.
-- I remember one time my brother flew my flipflop on our roof over the garage. and my dad was getting the ladder out to get them. the neighbor said "hey mark what are you doing?" and he said "oh, just getting saras thong off the roof" then the neighbor thought our family was weird.
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