Before any one asks, yes Aussies call what the Brits know as flip-flops, ...thongs (a typ of loose sandal, or open slipper)

around these parts, we've always called them thongs, flip-flops or zorries interchangeably, but only when they're the between-the-toe variety. any other kind of 'open slipper' would be called a sandal. i've noticed that lately the term "thongs" is dwindling in this capacity, and is more often used to describe swimsuits or underwear.