Despite having worn thongs for decades, I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “thonger.” It wasn’t in the community’s vernacular when I started, and because labels often carry disparaging connotations, I never felt motivated to adopt the term even as it became more common. I play games, but I’m not a gamer. I love computers, but I’m not a techie. I wear thongs, but I’m not a thonger.
It’s not that I find the term offensive, nor would I discourage others from using it. Saying or writing it just feels strange, even though wearing thongs is a core part of my personal identity.
I imagine most people who wear thongs have never even considered using the term. For women in particular, thongs are common enough that a dedicated label feels completely unnecessary. Lately, though, I’ve noticed brands (e.g., Rip Curl and Jolyn) and the women who wear them quietly avoiding the word “thong” altogether, opting for descriptors like “cheeky” or “minimal” for swimwear that clearly offers thong coverage.
The word “thong” is taboo enough that people avoid saying it altogether, let alone labeling themselves as “thongers.”
How do you feel about the term “thonger”? Is it a word you actually use to describe yourself or others?
I myself do not like the term. Perhaps I’m just being pedantic, but the term always sounded strange to me. Because ‘thonger’ as a noun would be derived from the verb ‘to thong’. And the few articles of clothing in the English language that have been transformed into verbs and subsequently derived into nouns (eg. “To hat” → “hatter”) have all described someone who makes or supplies the clothing…not the one who dons them. So to me, a “thonger” reads as the person who makes a thong, not the one wearing it.
But even one step back…the idea of “to thong” as a verb that means “to wear a thong” makes me (as the kids say nowadays) cringe. I don’t know why.
Fascinating. At first I thought the term ‘thonger’ was a bit awkward. New & sometimes awkward words enter daily use & you eventually don’t think twice about it. This is one for me. I never think of it as defining me. It’s just an aspect of me (ie I wear thongs) in the same way being a ‘skier’ or gym junky is an aspect of me. It’s handy shorthand in this time of social media where being concise is often necessary. Totally respect others who have a visceral reaction to the word but can’t say I do. Keep thonging ‘thongers’?!
I would not identify myself as a “thonger”, but I do wear thongs with confidence and pride. I’m not against the term if some wants to use it. I don’t see the need to use it to describe myself.
I don’t know why. 
