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1.Posted by TLWH (Travel Guru 520 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
Hmm. Well not having the Australian Lingo I made the mistake once of scrunching up my face at an Aussie girl you made a reference to her Thong being covered in Sh**.
Yes some will realize that she was referring to those rubber shoes with the annoying rubber on skin slapping sound that people wear on their feet and not underwear. 
In OZ = Thongs
In UK = Flip Flops
In SEA = Sandals
In West Africa = Rubber Shoes
But what about the name. Can we have a universal name that doesn't inspire confusion? 
2.Posted by Isadora (Travel Guru 13926 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
In the US, they used to be called thongs and then somewhere around the mid-70s, they became flip-flops. I still find myself asking where I left my thongs... 
I agree - a universal name would be a wonderful thing. Then I wouldn't get all sorts of odd looks when I use the "wrong" term. And, at least that annoying rubber on skin slapping sound alerts you to someone trying to sneak up behind you...
3.Posted by tway (Travel Guru 7273 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
We call them flip flops in Canada, too. Actually, in Quebec they're called gougounes ("goo-goons") in French, so we kinda use that a lot.
Oh--and nothing more annoying than being in a crowd and having someone consistently step on the back of my flip flops. Grr... Walk a little futher behind, moron! Yeesh. 
[ Edit: Edited on Jul 6, 2008, at 12:48 PM by tway ]
4.Posted by Araluen (Respected Member 346 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
Quoting tway
Oh--and nothing more annoying than being in a crowd and having someone consistently step on the back of my flip flops. Grr... Walk a little futher behind, moron! Yeesh.
Well thongs are thongs are thongs. And I wear thongs
What Americans term a "thong" is called a "G-String" out here in Oz.
But in NZ, thongs are called Jandals. LOL
But over here they're thongs.
And...Tway, I understand that feeling when somebody puts their great big clodhoppers on your thongs.
It's explained here Aussie Slang 
Oh, and REspectedMember, it works both ways. On an internet forum talking about travel, I said, "When I travel I just wear a pair of thongs." I could feel the wall of ice. They got a bit funny you know? I said, "You know thongs.. youwsear them on your feet." After some .......dialogue and discussion, they understood. They thought I meant skimpy knickers .
[ Edit: Edited on Jul 6, 2008, at 1:48 PM by Whistler 2 ]
Post 5 was removed by a moderator
6.Posted by tway (Travel Guru 7273 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
Quoting Whistler 2
Oh, and RespectedMember, it works both ways. On an internet forum talking about travel, I said, "When I travel I just wear a pair of thongs." I could feel the wall of ice. They got a bit funny you know? I said, "You know thongs.. youwsear them on your feet." After some .......dialogue and discussion, they understood. They thought I meant skimpy knickers .
That reminds me of the first time I met my b/f's parents (they're Irish, I'm Canadian). We were sitting in their living room in Belfast and I said to his Mom "Neal needs to go shopping--all his pants are dirty." She gave me a blank stare until Neal quickly piped up "Trousers! She means trousers!" 
[ Edit: Edited on Jul 6, 2008, at 2:23 PM by tway ]
7.Posted by angela_ (Respected Member 1732 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
I've always loved the whole eraser(us)/rubber(uk) thing. I know of an English girl that went to school in the US and asked to borrow someones rubber in class and got a really funny look from the people sitting around her...
8.Posted by james (Travel Guru 4139 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
Quoting tway
That reminds me of the first time I met my b/f's parents (they're Irish, I'm Canadian). We were sitting in their living room in Belfast and I said to his Mom "Neal needs to go shopping--all his pants are dirty." She gave me a blank stare until Neal quickly piped up "Trousers! She means trousers!"
Then why didn't you hot foot it to the laundry? Would that have scored brownie points?
9.Posted by Araluen (Respected Member 346 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
A bit of useless trivia (useless trivia I'm good at LOL)
Decided to have a hunt around for thongs, flip-flops et al and.....
From the Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary -
zoris:
Main Entry:
zo·ri
Pronunciation:
\ˈzȯr-ē\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural zori also zoris
Etymology:
Japanese zōri
Date:
1823
: a flat thonged sandal usually made of straw, cloth, leather, or rubber
(Oopsy-daisies - sorry about the double posting, computer playing up)
[ Edit: Edited on Jul 6, 2008, at 10:02 PM by Whistler 2 ]
10.Posted by Isadora (Travel Guru 13926 posts) 15yStar this if you like it!
Quoting Whistler 2
(Oopsy-daisies - sorry about the double posting, computer playing up)
Remedied and removed. 
Isa now returns this thread to it's originally scheduled topic...
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