Australian Slang For Flip-Flops (Explained!)

In a country where there is such warm weather so much of the year and over such a wide area of land, flip-flops are understandably in very common use.

Naturally, then, slang has arisen to describe them—but what are the Australian slang terms for flip-flops?

In Australia, the main slang for flip-flops is thongs. However, they are also called double pluggers in some parts of the country. These are the main slang terms you will hear, though some such as jandals have crept in from New Zealand to a far lesser extent.

Flip-flops are the preferred term in most English-speaking countries, and indeed it has even been adopted into some other languages.

It’s an incredibly old form of shoe, so it’s almost a bit surprising that there aren’t more slang terms for them—but flip-flops are a simple onomatopoeic term that most have settled on.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do Australians call flip flops?

The main slang term for flip-flops in Australia is thongs.

If you were to ask any Australian what the slang for flip flops is, they would almost certainly say thong.

It’s the most common and widely used, and any Australian will know what you mean when you say thong.

I’ll get into why they call it a thong shortly, but it’s worth mentioning that they do also use the term thong to refer to what Americans and British people mean when they say thong.

That is, a particular kind of underwear.

These are also called “bum floss” in Australian slang.

Thong is not the only slang term for flip-flops in Australia, though.

They also use the term ‘double pluggers’, although this is more limited to the Northern Territories.

It can also be used to refer to a specific kind of a very strong flip flop, those with “double plugs” holding them together.

But, again, most Aussies would simply refer to this as a thong still.

Other terms, like jandals, have migrated over to Australia from New Zealand.

Jandals is somewhat common in Australia, and this piece of slang is formed of a portmanteau of ‘Japanese’ and ‘sandals’, since they are thought to look a lot like Japanese sandals.

But this term just means flip-flops.

So, then, why do Australians use the term “thong” for flip-flops?

Why do Australians call flip-flops thongs?

There’s a very simple reason that Australians call flip-flops thongs.

Think about it, as it does relate to the wider use of the term thong.

A flip flop’s strap features a thong-like structure, three parts meeting together in the middle between the big toe and the next toe.

In that way, they look a lot like underwear thongs, with three straps going in different directions.

Naturally, then, Australians do also call thongs since they wouldn’t have had the basis for the slang otherwise!

They just much more commonly are referring to flip flops when they say thongs.

Indeed, it’s developed over time to the point that many may not even think of thongs as underwear at all.

The word itself has its origins in Old English and German, though when it entered the Australian slang lexicon to mean flip flop is not precisely clear.

However, mass-produced rubber flip-flops became popular after the 1950s, so it was likely sometime in the 60s or the 70s.

What about double pluggers, then?

Why do Australians call flip-flops double pluggers?

Double pluggers is a more specific kind of sandal, though in some areas as I mentioned, it is interchangeable with thong.

Flip flop straps are fitted to the bottom of the sandal via “plugs”—the round bits of rubber which keep them from falling out.

Most typical flip-flops have only a single plug.

Double pluggers, though, are fitted to the bottom of the sandal at two points, and thus are double plugged.

As I said, the Northern Territories are where you’re most likely to hear this term, though it is used everywhere when the specific term is needed.

Comparatively, some might call an ordinary pair of single plugged flip flops simply “pluggers”.

Again, though, this is far, far less common than thongs.

Thongs are just a bit snappier as well as the meaning is clearer!

Why do Australians call flip-flops jandals?

In Japan, sandals are important pieces of cultural footwear as well as simple practical clothing in the warm climate much of the country enjoys.

So, in other words, a lot of people wear sandals in Japan.

Furthermore, those sandals take on the appearance in some ways of flip flops, which were invented long after traditional Japanese sandals were.

Thus, this one is a simple portmanteau—“Japanese” and “sandals”.

As I said, this really isn’t all that common in Australia, though it is certainly used.

It’s borrowed from New Zealand slang and thus is more likely to be used in parts of the country with higher populations of New Zealanders.

So, while there are other terms in use in Australia, thongs are certainly the most widely used.

Double pluggers are more of a regional thing, whereas you can really expect someone to say thongs anywhere in the country.

Jandals is really a New Zealand term, and while there is a lot of shared culture between these two nations, it’s also important you understand how different they are.

More in Australian Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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