thongs
/θɒŋz/
Very CommonFlip-flops. Rubber sandals worn casually, especially in warm weather.
A major false friend for Americans and Brits. In Australian English, thongs means footwear. Saying you wore thongs to the beach means you wore flip-flops. Context is almost always obvious to Australians.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | rocked up in thongs and they looked at me like i was crazy | Arrived wearing flip-flops and was judged for it, possibly at a semi-formal venue. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | thong tan is already setting in and summer just started | Has started developing a flip-flop tan line early in summer. | instagram, 2023 |
| 03 | can't find my thongs anywhere, someone always takes them at parties | Cannot locate their flip-flops because they often get mixed up or taken. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | dress code: thongs and boardies | The event is extremely casual, flip-flops and board shorts welcome. | instagram, 2022 |
Use it when
- Talking about wearing or packing flip-flops.
- Describing casual summer footwear.
- Mentioning footwear appropriate for a beach or backyard.
Do not use it when
- When writing for an American or British audience without context, since the word means underwear there.Use “flip-flops” instead.
Thongs vs flip-flops
thongs
Thongs is the Australian word for rubber sandals.
VS
flip-flops
Flip-flops is the American and British term for the exact same footwear.
Origin and context
The term thongs for rubber sandals has been used in Australia since the mid-20th century. Its meaning as underwear in American English makes it one of the most well-known Australian English false friends.
- First seen
- mid-1900s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/australian-slang-thongsUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0