G-string

A G-string or thong is a narrow piece of cloth or leather, or plastic that passes between the buttocks. It is attached to a band around the hips. It can be worn as a swimwear or underwear by both men and women. The two terms G-string and thong are often used interchangeably however, the primary difference between the two garments is that a g-string has less material between the legs, hence a string-like appearance. Variants of the thong or G-string include the V-string, a thong with a triangle "v" of cloth with the G-string between the legs, and the T-string, where a single string passes around the waist and between the legs, forming a T between the buttocks.

An example of a g-string

the g-string is usually an alternative to the regular panty. With its extemely small back, it makes panty lines go away. It takes a little getting used to though. Thongs are also used alot when the woman wearing it wants to provide easy access fo that area.

Origin

The G-string or thong is probably the earliest form of clothing known to mankind. It originated in the warmer climates of sub-Saharan Africa where clothing was first worn nearly 75,000 years ago. Many tribal peoples, such as some of the Khoisan people of southern Africa, wore thongs for many centuries. Much like the 2000-plus-year-old Japanese fundoshi, these early garments were made with the male genitalia in mind.

Although developed for the male anatomy by primitive peoples, in the modern West thongs are more often worn by females. They first gained mainstream popularity as swimwear in South America, particularly in Brazil in the 1970s. In Brazil, where the buttocks ("bunda" in Portuguese) are especially admired and emphasized; it was originally a style of swimsuit whose rear area became so narrow that it would disappear between the wearer's buttocks.

The origin of the term "G-string" is obscure. The term is first attested in writings by Americans in the late 1800s describing the loincloth of Philippine natives. Others say the term is derived from the g-string on an instrument. The origin of the word "thong" is from the Old English thwong, a flexible leather cord.

Precautions

Wearing G-strings may cause urinary tract infections(UTIs) in women, just like all other underwear types. Similarly to wiping or intercourse, the sliding of the string against the anus and vagina can provide a route for bacteria between the orifices. It is necessary for the wearer to be keep the anus and vagina especially clean due to the tightness of the fabric. Menstruating women can also continue to wear G-strings if using tampons and G-string panty liners.

In other languages

The English commonly refer to the thong as a barbwire fence, due to the fact that it protects the 'property' without blocking the 'view'

In Lithuania the G-string is often called "stringai", or more national name "siaurikės".

In Portugal and Brazil the G-string is often referred to as fio dental which means "dental floss".

In Italy the G-string is called "perizoma" or wrongly "tanga" (in Italian language "tanga" is a micro-panties).

In Turkey the G-string is called "ipli külot" (ipli means "stringed" and külot means "underpants") or like in Italy, it is also wrongly called "tanga".

In French, German and Dutch, the G-string is usually called "string", a loanword from English.

In Puerto Rico, a Spanish slang term often used for G-string is gistro, most commonly used by Reggaeton artists to refer to the underwear style.

In Argentina and Chile, G-String is widely known as colaless. In those countries, cola means buttocks, thus colaless literally means buttocks-less.

In the Japanese language and also in Cantonese, the G-string is widely known as T-back, after its shape seen from behind. The sound has been causing some confusion among Japanese speakers with a tea bag, which is also common in today's Japanese dictionaries. The term T-back is also commonly used in the Philippines. However, there are several usages of the term "T-back" in English as well (i.e., Children's literature author E.L. Konigsburg's T-backs, T-shirts, Coat and Suit). In other dialects of the Chinese language, the G-string is commonly called as dingziku (丁字裤) which literally means "t character pants".

In Czech, Estonian, Finnish, German, Hungarian and Spanish the G-string is often called "tanga". In Finnish, the plural stringit "strings" is used, as they are pants, not a "pant".

In Polish the G-string is usually called stringi, which is a pluralized loanword from English (literally: "strings").

In Australia only the term G-string is used. Thongs are a type of rubber footwear.

See also

• Jockstrap
• Loincloth
• Girdle
• Whale tail

and Thong to avoid the confusion.