THONGS

I was talking to my mother last night, wishing her a very Happy 80th Birthday, when she told me about her recent shopping trip. She said she bought a couple of new pairs of pants and a couple of new shirts and some thongs. In the background of our conversation, I could hear my sister-in-law correcting my mother saying "flip-flops".

Of course, I knew exactly what mother meant when she told me she bought some thongs, as that's what "flip-flops" were initially called so very long ago. And recently, in a conversation, I used the word thongs with the same meaning as my mother and was corrected with the word "flip-flops" too.

Now, I can see why thong-makers hijacked the word 'thong' from unsuspecting "flip-flop" makers as when you think of the design of each (one splitting the big toe from the next biggest toe and the other splitting...well, you get my point). But couldn't the faux-thong people come up with another word for their invention without stealing a perfectly good word from "flip-flop" makers? I mean, they could have made up a new word, couldn't they? How about calling them "binders" or "rider-uppers" or "splitters"?

I think we need some imagination here! Quit stealing perfectly good words from unsuspecting flimsy-shoe manufacturing cobblers?