safety thongs

(usually, in the plural, Australia, dated, _, in, _, US) An item of footwear, usually of rubber, secured by two straps which join to pass between the big toe and its neighbour.

Part of a thong (underwear) visible when worn.

The glorious warm-weather stretch when flip-flops (called thongs in Australia and parts of NZ) officially replace closed-toe footwear as the default shoe for every occasion, appropriate or not. Thongs szn is declared at the first convincing stretch of sun and lasts until someone makes you wear actual shoes again. It's less about fashion and more about a collective seasonal surrender to comfort: grocery runs, beach days, restaurants with a dress code that you interpret generously. Thongs szn has no official end date — only a cold snap.

Australian: flip-flops — the footwear, not the underwear. A source of confusion for Americans every summer. Thongs are worn to servos, beaches, pubs, and weddings (depending on the pub and the wedding). Banned only in the fanciest establishments.

(AU) A restaurant surcharge added to the bill for patrons who wear thongs (footwear) instead of shoes.