WotD: thongs; flip flops

[muckefuck]

1. die Badelatschen, die Flip-flops
2. de teenslippers
3. las chancletas
4. les xancletes
5. les tongs
6. y fflip-fflops
8. japonki
9. 고무 슬리퍼
10. 人字拖 rénzìtuō

Notes: It's strange for me to read online that "thongs" is considered a specifically Australian usage, since that is all my family called them when I was growing up. (References to thong underwear baffled me well into my early twenties.)

Comments

[paulintoronto.livejournal.com]

I grew up in Ontario, Canada calling them thongs as well. Flip flops is a relatively new term, I think.

By the way, in New Zealand, they are called "jandals".

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I came across that as a translation of the Korean term (which literally translates as "rubber sandal". But if they're actual Japanese sandals, they're more likely to be called 조리 jori (from zōri "grass footwear", the native Japanese name).

Sort-of OT, but it reminds me of this:

[linuxcub.livejournal.com]

http://alienlovespredator.com/2006/02/28/shhh-were-in-chinatown/

because I contributed the final part of the punchline :-)

[pne.livejournal.com]

Possibly Utah, too? At any rate, when I got my mission papers, one of the items they suggested I take was "thongs".

Back then, I only knew the word as meaning "thin strap of leather (e.g. to tie things together)", so I did a bit of research and found that it's also used for underwear, thought that can't possibly be what they mean, and decided to ignore that item.

It was only later that I found out it also refers to flip-flops.

[areia.livejournal.com]

Now I'm going to be grinning the next few times I see missionaries because I'll be guessing what garishly colored thongs their little matching outfits are hiding.

[pne.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I think it's always fun when CJK refer to things as "shaped like character X", as in this example, or as in "cross" ('10'-shaped frame)/"crossroads" ('10'-shaped road).

[ursine1.livejournal.com]

Here in Spain they are marketed as chanclas.

Chuck

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

I grew up (California, 1970s) saying "thongs". Even today, I have to censor myself and remember to say "flipflops", a term which does not come naturally to me. I work in retail, so I'm asked about them frequently. And yes, we also sell thong underwear.

[tisoi.livejournal.com]

Tagalog: tsinelas (from Spanish chinelas)
Philippine & Hawaiian English: slippers

I'm a diehard slippers kind of guy. I distinctly remember hearing "flip flops" for the first time. I was 7 or 8 years old and my best friend's American dad said something about my "flip flops." My reaction was like "you mean my slippers?"