I am trying to research flip-flops.
I have written a poem which describes an older woman chatting with a seven-year-old youngster in the stairwell, and the girl's got on flip-flops. That's what I want her to have on. But were they popular in KY in 1954? Were they called flip-flops or the derogatory phrase "jap-flaps"? I could just call them sandals, but it doesn't give the specific image I want it to give. Flip-flops have a fun summery image to them (even though I cannot stand to wear them myself; that thong blisters my toes) and regular sandals won't call up that youthful image. And I will not use the derogatory "nickname." Even if the poem was being narrated by the old lady, I don't think she would have used that term; she's good-natured and and I get the impression she would have been non-judgmental, meaning shouldn't wouldn't use some phrase like that. Yeah. A lot goes into poetry when you're writing about other people, even fictional ones, and little tidbits of facts.
So... flip-flops. I keep thinking of movies that depict children of the late 50s and early 60s wearing those flip-flops sometimes, but... I can't rely on that as my factual source. Sometimes those are wrong.
agh. And Lay-Z-Boy recliners. I gotta do fact-checking on it too.
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