The great American linguistic divide: Soda vs Pop.

[Dinner]

That map shows differences in word usage across the US when it comes to describing sugary carbonated beverages, A.K.A. soda. As you can see the Northeast and California prefer to use the term "soda" as the generic term for a soft drink (there are also large pockets of sanity in the upper midwest ) while most of the north of the country goes with "pop". Now, to my ears "pop" sounds slightly strange a vaguely yokelish but it is at least a reasonable phrase to describe a generic soft drink, that said, WTF is up with the south? Why do you rebel scum have to refer to everything as a "coke"? Don't you know that's a specific brand and not a generic term? I've remarked on this southern colloquialism several times in my travels but I always thought it was more confined to specific areas (especially around Atlanta due to Coca-Cola having it's HQ there) but it turns out just about all of you use the wrong word.

[-Jrabbit]

This is very old stuff. But hey, I'll play:

I had a college roommate from Alton IL (St Louis/Belleville area, all-white, blue collar) who called it "sody pop." He was a brilliant guy (PhD in biochem), but it made him sound like an idiot.

[Dinner]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/01/140110133/soda-or-pop-which-do-you-drink

NPR recently posted some stuff about the Soda vs Pop debate.

[SlowwHand]

Coke, by default. Soda, if thought about.

[Vanguard]

What about "tonic"?

[SlowwHand]

Tonic is not any of the above.

[Dinner]

On the upside the US is currently experiencing a revival of the old soda counter with soda jerks mixing up authentic classic 19th & early 20th century soda mixtures using fresh ingredients right at the counter as customers wait.

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/01/140093866/in-soda-revival-fizzy-taste-bubbles-up-from-the-past

[Ben Kenobi]

Funny, "other" is predominant here.

I wonder what that other is. Pop just sounds right to me. My granny loves to use "coke".

[MRT144]

It kills me that people up here in seattle call it pop. ****ing drives me crazy.

[KrazyHorse]

On the upside the US is currently experiencing a revival of the old soda counter with soda jerks mixing up authentic classic 19th & early 20th century soda mixtures using fresh ingredients right at the counter as customers wait.

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/01/140093...-from-the-past

This may be the most oerdin post in all of history.

[Donegeal]

Used to call it Pop until my military days. Then it switched to soda where it has stayed.

Further, what about 'drinking fountian' and 'bubbler'?

[SlowwHand]

No.

[EPW]

It's Soda, of course.

[Guynemer]

Pop pop!

[Donegeal]

Pop now makes me think of pringles.