I was always under the impression that is stood for the Grafenberg area, or G-spot, as in Dr. Ernst Grafenberg’s research findings—?
Link to column: What does the G in G-string stand for? – CKDH
Nope, sorry. It predates the good Doctor.
On a 12-string guitar, the high G string is the thinnest of the lot. Is this the inspiration for the name of the female apparel in question, given its prime feature is its thinness?
I think it has to do with gravity and string theory,
Har! Physics humor!
It’s all quantum.
RR
How about genitalia? That’s about the only thing it really covers up.
Welcome to the Straight Dope. Here’s Cecil’s column on this question.
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_296b.html
The G string is the lowest and thickest of the violin strings. But on a modern wire-strung violin, it’s really the only one you could possibly wear without risk of injury.
I was going to remark that “G String” must be older than 1831, because of “Bach’s Air for the G String”, but I see that Bach didn’t write the one-string arrangement of his tune.
Given the earlier “geestring” spelling and meaning (and the fact that the striptease, properly so called, originated only in the 1890’s), I wonder whether it also influenced “jockstrap”.
is it a coincidence that a womans ‘parts’ is called a GEE where I come from, Ireland?
Gee (pronounced with a hard G like Golf)
The first time I ever saw those parts, my reaction was to say, “Gee” (pronounced with a soft G as in giraffe)
Of course I speaking of those parts of Ireland…
“Geestring” looks hilarious, given what rebelbuttmunch points out is its meaning here. Could there be any connection? What’s the etymology of the Irish slang?
(And how we laughed when we went to an Indian restaurant and the waiter asked me if I wanted ghee on my nan bread…!)
Probably not, John.
“Jock” to mean the penis is cited as early as the 1700’s.
Does Cecil have any evidence for his geestring=whip theory? He doesn’t seem to quote any. And if he doesn’t, isn’t the whole thing just wild speculation?
Ask Yahoo reckons it comes from an American Indian word for an item of clothing, “geestringi”. Here’s another cite for that theory, which attributes it to Sioux or other Plains Indians.
I have to take issue with the “Gee! String!” explanation too. If you see a girl in a g-string, the last thing you’ll be commenting on is the string.
IANA Horseperson, but I thought that “Gee” made a horse turn right, not accelerate as Cecil mentions. What’s up with that?
I’ve always heard that it referred to “groin string” and that this was pretty much established. I guess from the fact that no one else has mentioned it as even a possibility must mean I’m mistaken. Or not?
Jeremy Ulrey
Austin, TX
I really don’t understand why the G in G-string can’t stand for “genitals” or “groin.”
So I’m asking with Jeremy: Any reason why not?
– Chris.
Because the kind of person who would have coined “G-string” or “geestring” on that basis would have done it in writing, with an explanation.
“Gee” is right and “Haw” is left.
G = gyn(a,e,o) female
G-string = a string worn by women esp. in semi-nude dance clubs
true? maybe
makes sense to me
HawString = H-string
Haw = left
H-string = reason for all-nude dance clubs
true? That’s what I’ve been told. I asked a girl at the bar why she was the only full nude dancer…she said she forgot to wear her G-string. So, I tipped her good and plenty. 
The Irish slang “gee” would seem to derive from “gash”, although there are people who’d say it comes from Irish. I don’t think so though.
That would have been my guess for the origin of the term “g-string” as well…