Which object does the character 丁 resemble? A nail? An umbrella? Or a coat hanger? A thong! This visual similarity is at least alluded to by the Chinese name for this tiny piece of underwear, which is 丁字裤 dīngzìkù, literally „character ‘thing’ pants.“ In fact, „dīngzìkù“ is not the only Chinese word that implies a similarity between objects and certain characters.