What Do British Call Thongs? UK vs US Meanings for Underwear and Footwear

TL;DR

• In Britain, “thong” means underwear. The beach shoe is “flip-flops.”
• In Australia, “thongs” means flip-flops, which confuses UK/US travellers.
• UK shops label underwear as “thong” or “G-string,” footwear as “flip-flops” or “toe-post sandals.”
• Say “flip-flops” in the UK if you want the shoe; say “thong” or “G-string” for the underwear style.
• Quick rule: UK=flip-flops (shoe), thong (underwear); US=flip-flops (shoe), thong (underwear); AU=thongs (shoe), G-string/thong (underwear).

You asked a simple question with a cheeky twist: what do British people call thongs? Here’s the clean answer. If you mean the sandals with a strap between your toes, Brits call them “flip-flops,” not thongs. If you mean the minimal underwear, Brits absolutely say “thong,” and sometimes “G-string” for the skimpiest version.

Thong (clothing) is a type of underwear with a narrow back that leaves most of the buttocks uncovered; it’s used to avoid visible panty lines or for minimal coverage. In UK retail, it appears as “thong,” “G-string,” “V-string,” or “T-string,” varying by strap width and waistband shape.

That settles the headline, but there’s a language wrinkle worth knowing if you travel, shop online, or chat with fashion people across countries. In Australia, “thongs” are the shoes. In the UK and US, “flip-flops” are the shoes. Same word, two very different items.

What “thong” and “flip-flops” mean across English varieties

Flip-flops are a type of sandal with a Y-shaped strap (a toe post) that sits between the first and second toes, typically with a flat foam or rubber sole. In British shops, you’ll also see “toe-post sandals” on tags, especially for smarter leather versions.

G-string is an ultra-minimal thong where the back is a string, often with a narrow waistband; it offers the least coverage among thong styles. Many UK lingerie brands use both terms, with “G-string” signalling skimpier than “thong.”

British English is the set of English dialects used in the United Kingdom; it often differs from American and Australian English in clothing and fashion terms. In this case: UK thongs = underwear; UK flip-flops = sandals.

American English is the set of English dialects used in the United States; for this topic, it aligns with British English on “flip-flops” for the footwear and “thong” for the underwear.

Australian English is the set of English dialects used in Australia; it uniquely uses “thongs” to mean the flip-flop sandal.

History helps explain the split. The word “thong” starts as Old English “þwong,” meaning a leather strap. That strap idea fits both items: a strap between the toes, and a slender strap of fabric at the back of underwear. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the footwear sense to older North American/Australasian usage, while the underwear sense becomes mainstream in the 1990s, after earlier “G-string” references going back to the early 20th century.

Quick comparison: what to say where

How UK shops and brands label the two items

Walk into a British high street and you’ll see the split in black and white. Lingerie racks at Marks & Spencer, Next, or Boux Avenue use “Thong,” “No VPL Thong,” “Lace Thong,” and “G-string.” On footwear walls at Schuh or Office, it’s “Flip-flops” in summer sections; smarter versions read “Toe-post leather sandals.” Online, ASOS keeps underwear under “Thongs & G-strings” and shoes under “Flip flops & sliders.”

Retailers do this to cut noise. A lingerie buyer searches “thong” and expects underwear; a beachgoer searches “flip-flops” and expects the shoe. That shared retail logic means you can use the same search terms across most UK stores (including supermarkets like Tesco or Sainsbury’s) and find the right aisle first time.

Underwear: thong styles, coverage, and when to pick which

Lingerie is a category of intimate apparel designed for everyday wear, shaping, or aesthetics; it includes bras, briefs, and thongs in various cuts. Within that, thong styles differ by coverage and strap design:

• Classic thong: narrow back panel, moderate front, soft waistband; good for “no VPL” under fitted dresses.
• G-string: string waistband, string back; lightest feel, minimal coverage for bodycon silhouettes.
• V-string / T-string: decorative strap shapes at the back; fashion-forward version of a G-string.
• Tanga: wider side straps, slightly more back coverage; comfy middle ground.
• Brazilian: cheeky brief with curved back; more coverage than a thong, less than a bikini brief.
• High-leg thong: higher cut on the hip; elongates the leg line, works under high-waist trousers.

Undergarment is a garment worn beneath outer clothing for support, hygiene, or silhouette; thongs are a subtype focused on minimal rear coverage. Fabric matters too. Microfibre gives stretch and a smooth finish under knits, cotton breathes well, and bonded seams kill visible lines. UK brands often tag “No VPL” when the edges are laser-cut or bonded.

Footwear: flip-flop family and UK naming quirks

Sandal is an open-toe shoe secured by straps; flip-flops are a sandal subtype with a toe-post. Beyond flip-flops, the UK summer aisle includes:

• Flip-flops: foam sole, rubber or fabric straps; beach and pool friendly.
• Toe-post sandals: leather or faux leather straps with a toe divider; a dressier cousin.
• Slides: no toe post, a single strap across the foot; called “sliders” in UK casualwear.
• Sport slides: moulded footbed, often from adidas or Nike; shower and gym staples.

Slide (footwear) is a backless sandal with one or more straps over the instep; in UK casual use, “sliders” refers to athletic-style slides. If a UK product title says “toe-post,” you’re looking at the Y-strap design you might call a flip-flop. If it lacks the toe divider, it’s a slide/slider.

Real-world examples (labels you’ll actually see)

Here’s how this plays out on tags and product pages you’ll meet in Britain:

• Marks & Spencer lingerie: “No VPL Microfibre Thong,” sizes 6-22; “Lace G-String,” S-XL.
• Next shoes: “Leather Toe-Post Sandals” (women), sizes 3-9; “Flip Flops” (men), sizes 6-12.
• ASOS: “Multipack cotton thongs,” “Strappy G-strings,” “Havaianas flip flops,” “adidas Adilette sliders.”
• Schuh: “Havaianas Top Flip-Flops,” “Birkenstock Gizeh Toe-Post Sandals.”

Notice the pattern: underwear keeps “thong/G-string,” footwear keeps “flip-flops/toe-post,” and sport styles use “sliders.” That split is consistent across big UK retailers because it lowers returns and improves search accuracy.

When word choice matters: avoid awkward misunderstandings

Language can trip you up in the funniest places. Ask for “thongs” in a British shoe shop, and staff might pause because they expect you’re after underwear. Ask for “flip-flops” in a lingerie section, and you’ll be walked to the holiday footwear aisle. If you say “Do you sell thongs?” in a UK store without context, staff assume underwear. Add “for the beach,” and the penny drops: you mean flip-flops.

Travelling to Australia? Reverse your instincts. There, “thongs” are the sandals. If you want the underwear, say “G-string” or “thong underwear.” In New Zealand, you’ll hear “jandals” for flip-flops. In the US, you’re safe with “flip-flops” for shoes and “thong” for underwear.

Quick cheat sheet you can screenshot

• In the UK, the British term for thongs (the footwear) is “flip-flops.”
• In UK lingerie, “thong” = underwear; “G-string” = skimpier thong.
• “Toe-post” on shoe labels means flip-flop style.
• Slides/sliders = strap across the foot, no toe-post.
• Australia: “thongs” = flip-flops; say “G-string” for underwear to be crystal clear.

A short, friendly glossary (with simple definitions)

These are the key terms you’ll see again and again:

Brazilian (brief) is a cheeky-cut underwear style with more coverage than a thong but less than a bikini brief; popular for curved back shaping.

Tanga (brief) is an underwear cut with narrow sides and moderate back; a midpoint between thong and bikini brief.

Toe-post is the central post of a flip-flop sandal that sits between the first and second toes; UK shoe retailers use it in product names.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is an authoritative historical dictionary of English; it traces “thong” to Old English and documents both footwear and underwear senses.

How to shop without mix-ups (online and in-store)

1. For shoes in the UK, search: “flip-flops,” “toe-post sandals,” or brand names like Havaianas, Reef, or FitFlop.
2. For underwear, search: “thong,” “G-string,” “no VPL thong,” or cuts like “Brazilian” and “tanga.”
3. Use filters. On UK sites, “footwear” versus “lingerie” categories are cleanly separated.
4. Check the photo. A toe divider = flip-flop/toe-post. A narrow string back = G-string. A wider narrow back = thong.
5. Mind the region. On Australian sites, “thongs” often sits under footwear, not underwear.

Scenarios and quick fixes

• You’re in a UK shoe shop and ask for “thongs.” The assistant looks puzzled. Quick fix: “Sorry-flip-flops for the beach.”
• You’re on an Australian beach and someone says, “Don’t forget your thongs.” They mean your flip-flops, not your underwear.
• You’re browsing a UK online store and see “toe-post sandals.” That’s the flip-flop silhouette, usually in leather or with a shaped footbed.
• You want invisible underwear under a slip dress. Filter for “No VPL thong,” microfibre fabric, bonded edges.

Related concepts you might want next

This sits in a bigger cluster of UK-US fashion language differences. If you like clear answers, here are nearby topics worth exploring next: “pants vs trousers” (UK “pants” = underwear), “jumper vs sweater,” “trainers vs sneakers,” “braces vs suspenders,” and shoe terms like “plimsolls,” “pumps,” and “court shoes.” Understanding these helps you shop smarter and avoid funny mix-ups at the till.

Evidence and credibility notes

Dictionary labels align with what you’ll see in UK retail and media. The Oxford English Dictionary and Cambridge Dictionary record “thong” for intimate apparel and “flip-flop” for the sandal in British English, and “thongs” for the footwear in Australian English. Fashion press and UK retailer taxonomies (Marks & Spencer, Next, ASOS, Schuh) mirror that split because it maps to how shoppers search and what they expect to find.