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A G-string, thong, or tanga is a narrow piece of cloth or leather that passes between the legs, usually between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear.
Origin
Although it was worn for decades by exotic dancers, the thong first gained mainstream popularity in South America, particularly in Brazil in the 1970s. In Brazil it was originally a style of swimsuit whose rear area was so thin—often just a string—that it would disappear between the wearer's buttocks.
Its earliest form was a strip of cloth between the legs secured by a string around the waist and called a "G-string," a name that was in use at least as far back as the late 1800s. Today, a G-string is generally thought of as having a 'T' back whereas a V-String has a 'V' back.
The origin of the word "G-string" is uncertain. Some speculate that it may have been an analogy to the thickest string on a violin or a euphemistic abbreviation of girdle string or groin string. G-strings can be seen being worn in some old photographs.
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The origin of the word thong is from Old English thwong, a flexible leather cord.
It is sometimes derogatorily called floss.
Many tribal peoples, such as some of the Khoisan people of southern Africa, wore a similar style of clothing for many centuries. Their word for it, tanga, is used in languages such as Spanish to refer to the garment, sometimes specifically the type with cloth through the legs and string around the sides. (In English, tangas are briefs that have full rear coverage but only a waistband at the sides.)
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