What do you call them???
By shihtzumama
@shihtzumama (290)
United States
January 6, 2009 3:12pm CST
So at Christmas this year we were all gathered at my mom and dads. My grandparents were in town from Arizona. They are in their late 70's and early 80's. My parents are in their early to mid 50's. So we were all sitting around drinking wine and we had wine glass charms on our glasses so that we knew whos glass was whos. So my mom gave my grandma a charm with a Flip Flop on it! She said to her " mom you are the only one who has a thong for your charm....Well all of us kids who all range in age from (35-23) started laughing because to us a thong is something you were if you know what I mean. So we corrected my mom and grandma and told them that its a FLIP FLOP.... So what do you call sandles or Flip flops??? Do you call them THONGS or FLIP FLOPS???? LOOOOOL
6 people like this
17 responses
@violetdreams (658)
•
6 Jan 09
That must have been really funny.
I come from South Africa originally and we call them SLOPS out there. I guess this is a short form of SLIP SLOPS - similar to FLIP FLOP if you like.
We also don't ever wear our slops (or whatever) with socks which much of Europe seem to think look sexy... do you wear yours with socks? 
flip flops that is.
Stay well
Violetdreams
flip flops that is.
Stay well
Violetdreams2 people like this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
6 Jan 09
It was pretty funny!! It definately showed the differences in the generations!!!!
Thanks for responding!!
2 people like this
@Kmarie923 (875)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I call them flip flops too lol. It sounds a little silly to call them thongs. That is usually what it says on the tags and stuff though.
2 people like this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Sounds like the majority of us call them flip flops!!!
Thanks for responding!!
2 people like this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
7 Jan 09
I'm an Aussie and we have always called them thongs! I do understand what the same term means elsewhere, but this is what we call them and I'm sticking to it! We use the term sandals as well but sandals to me are different to flip flops/thongs and are more like open shoes with straps. By the way, what many people in the world call a "thing" we call a g-string! 
We use the term sandals as well but sandals to me are different to flip flops/thongs and are more like open shoes with straps. By the way, what many people in the world call a "thing" we call a g-string! 1 person likes this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
LOL well good you stick to it then!!! Just like I stick to calling them FLIP FLOPS!!!
Thanks for respond!!!
1 person likes this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
LOOOOOOOOOOOOL NOOOOOOOOOO they are flip flops!!
Thanks for responding
1 person likes this
@rashmi1979 (112)
• United States
7 Jan 09
In India we call them chappal or Hawai Chappal or simply slippers. After coming to US I came to know that they are called Flip-Flops and just today I learnt that it used to be known as Thongs too! Wow..so many names for a simple pair of slippers. I do find them very comfortable...use them all over the house and even for short walks..in parks and for running local errands - grocery shopping etc. I love them in bright colours liek pink and usually discard them once they lose their brightness or lose shape which typically happens after about 2 years of use. :)
I really do love Flip-Flops ! :) They are the most comfy things you can put on your feet!
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I was born and raised in Ohio and we always called them thongs although the proper name is flip flops! Same as we call a carbonated beverage "pop" but most of the country, I think, calls it "soda".
2 people like this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I grew up in Minnesota and we call it POP too!! I still do call it pop, and when I was a little kid growing up I think we may have called the Thongs too. But times have changed and I call them FLIP FLOPS now because thongs are something totally different!!!
Thanks for responding!
2 people like this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I think its funny how we all have different names in diffent parts of the world for the same items......It does get confusing....LOL
Thanks for responding!!
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
7 Jan 09
thongs are sandals with the piece in the middle your mother is not wrong, in fact you can go on the net and order thong sandals,
I only call flip flops the kind that you were to the beach because that is the name the manufacturer gave them.
and the thong underwear is the same idea, the one little piece in the back that is the thong like the thong in a shoe.
1 person likes this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
HEY WINTER!!!! How are you? LOL.....See now in my generation, thongs are the underwear that us girls where....My mom would call those g-strings....Flip flops your right we were those to the beach, but that is what our generation calls them, not Thongs. Sandals are sandals only!!!
Thanks for responding Winter!!!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92781)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Flip flops. I think younger people are especially careful to call them flip flops because we are in the generation, or around the generation that popularized the thong "bathing suit" or "underwear". But I hear a lot of people over 40 who say thongs instead of flip flops. My mom has even noticed what term she uses and is trying to make herself always say flip flops, to avoid any weird looks.
1 person likes this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Yes Flip Flops!!!! Our generation does call our underwear and sometimes bathing suits... "Thongs"....LOL
Thanks for responding!!
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I call em flip flops! LMAO!!! love your story!!!!
1 person likes this
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
YEAH!!!!! I think this has been a funny converstaion!!!! It definately shows the differences in ALL the generations!!!!
Thanks for responding!!!!
@sxrxnrr45601 (1171)
• United States
8 Jan 09
I call mine slides since i just slide my feet into them but I had and aunt that called them thongs lol it was funny to here her call them that but thats what they used to be called back in the day so....
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
8 Jan 09
Yes that is what they use to call them!!! I call them FLIP FLOPS!!!!!
Thanks for responding!
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Well shihtzu,
In our day, we called them both. Of course in my day, there were no underware called thongs. So I guess today we have to differentiate between the two. I can see how that would cause some laughter. Did your grandmother get the joke? Or did it fly right over her head?
leenie
@messageme (2821)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I call them flip flops. to me thongs are the underwear that go up your butt!
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
8 Jan 09
Yes I agree with you 100%!!!
Thanks for responding!! This subject seemed to be a big hit!!! LOL
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
8 Jan 09
Yes flip flops is what I call them!!!! Thongs are underwear in my book...LOL
Thanks for responding and welcome to Mylot!!!
@mdurkee (2)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I have also been caught up in this type of discussion. At a local private elementary schooL, we teachers were going over the dress code for the year. One of the older (UGH!) teachers was talking about the approved shoes and listed "thongs" as unacceptable. The whole auditorium went crezy with laughter as all the kids got the vision . . . She quickly revised her statement to say "flip-flops" were unsafe to wear on the playground and were therefore outlawed.
I guess these days, we should also outlaw thongs! But who is going to enforce that?? I call them FLIP FLOPS . . .
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Yes I think we should outlaw thongs!!! I am happy you call them FLIP FLOPS too....Its all about the generation thats forsure!!!
Welcome to Mylot!!!
Thanks for responding!
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
7 Jan 09
HaHa, this is funny!
Yeh, I'm from the old school I guess you can say, haha.
I worked at a shoe store the last year and I had to ask the girls what they call them. They laughed at me of course because I just remember them to be called Thongs.
I don't wear them so never had an interest in this type of shoe (can't stand that little strap between my toes), so that's all I could remember them being called. But what's funny is, if someone came in and wanted sandals we would steer them down that aisle and they would buy the flip flops. Confused the heck out of me, lol!
My kids call them flip flop's though and wear them all the time in the summer. Cute discussion...just shows you all the different generations there are here.
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Yes it does show the difference of the generations!! I think its fun!!!
Thanks for responding!!!
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
19 Feb 09
My mom calls them zorris. I either call them thongs or flip flops, mostly thongs.
just because the kids have reinvented the g string and call it a thong doesn't mean that other things cant be called thong too.
@mdurkee (2)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I have also been caught up in this type of discussion. At a local private elementary school, we teachers were going over the dress code for the year. One of the older (ugh!) teachers was talking about the approved shoes and listed "thongs" as unacceptable. The whole auditorium went crazy with laughter as all the kids got the vision . . . She quickly revised her statement to say "flip-flpos" were unsafe to wear on the playground and were therefore outlawed.
I guess these days, we should also outlaw thongs! But who is going to enforce that??
I call them FLIP FLOPS . . .
