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From "Hollywood Casual, Down to Their Toes," by Sharon Waxman, NYT, today:

Suddenly, flip-flops — those slabs of rubber with V-shaped slivers between the toes — are ubiquitous in what were once dressed-up settings.

From "Simmering Over Summer Accessories," by Robin Givhan, WP, June 2:

A foot in a flip-flop might as well be naked. And naked feet don't belong anywhere near an office.

From "Avoid the Flip-Flop Flap and Join the Well-Heeled," by Mary Ellen Slate, WP, May 21:

Yes, this is my flip-flop rant.

I admit, they drive me nuts. I can't stand the thwack-thwack they make as their wearers scoot down the hall. Or the way they ruin an otherwise sharp outfit, as if the wearer almost got dressed this morning, except for this one small detail. (Sorry, boss, looks as if I forgot my shoes!)

In fairness, we should say we think the Times is the first to actually define flip-flops for us, as "those slabs of rubber with V-shaped slivers between the toes." Ah, the fun of paper-of-record style.