Pop vs Soda vs… Coke?
October 5, 2006
I moved around a lot, and have always used “pop” to refer to soft drinks. When you are a kid, you don’t really notice when someone uses a different term for the same thing, but growing older, you begin to notice these linguistical hiccups. Different regions of the english speaking world use different terms for the same thing — soft drinks.
The word soda comes from soda-water (sodium bicarbonate with acid to create fizz). Its original meaning was sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, but has evolved into one of the generic terms for a soft drink.
Pop was introduced later in 1812 by Robert Southey,
A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn.
Trailing soda and pop in popularity is coke, which has influence in the south likely due to the location of the Coca-Cola plant in Georgia. “I’ll have a coke,” “What kind of coke?”, “Root beer please”.
While this paper does numerous small surveys on the ubiquity of soda/pop/coke, this newer map is a more comprehensive view of the linguistic divide of people in the United States (via popvssoda.com),
(click to enlarge)
Soda is more popular in the southwest, northeast, and St. Louis area; pop is used more in the northwest and midwest; coke is used in the south.
Other terms for soft drinks from other counties (via wikipedia):
- Canadians and the British say “pop”
- Some Brits even say “fizzy drink”
- In Western Scotland, they use “ginger”
- Aussies and New Zealanders say “soft drink”
- Some Australians call it “lolly water”
So where did the term soft drink come from? It was chosen because a hard was used to describe alcoholic beverages, hence the antonym soft was the obvious choice for non-alcoholic beverage. And beverage came from the Old French root word beivre (to drink) during their conquest of England in 1066.
Von Schneidemesser, L. (1996). Soda or Pop? Journal of English Linguistics, 24(4), 270-287.
Entry Filed under: Linguistics, Visualization, coke, etymology, pop, soda. .
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1.
Lazaro | October 6, 2006 at 10:27 pm
In Mexico, “Coke” refers to any kind of carbonated beverage, at least the part where I’m from… When we moved to the States it stuck in our household and to this day I refer to any carbonated drink as “Coke”
2.
Porter Hall | October 7, 2006 at 6:00 pm
This is interesting. I noticed that in both LA and NY, the media capitals of the U.S., it’s soda. You’d think that 50 years of mass media would have wiped “pop” out of usage.
Let’s hear it for local dialect!
3.
misslionheart | October 8, 2006 at 5:37 am
Interesting blog. I was brought up in Lancashire, England wher carbonated drinks were always referred to as pop! :lol: Now, here in Ireland its a mineral :roll:
4.
misslionheart | October 8, 2006 at 5:39 am
Oh, my smileys aren’t there! And there’s an ‘e’ missing! Oops…
5.
Audrey | October 11, 2006 at 12:33 pm
I love this map!
I used to say pop when I lived in the Northwest, and when I moved to LA I started saying soda. now I know why.
6.
The Daily Distracter | October 16, 2006 at 1:53 am
As an Aussie, I’d have to say “soft drink”, and I’m pretty sure “fizzy drink” is used in some parts of New Zealand. “Lolly water” is now only ever used when referring to alcoholic drinks…but it’s really interesting to read about what people in other parts of the world say… there’s so many different words for the same thing!
7.
Bob Roberts | October 21, 2006 at 3:44 pm
I’m curious what the “other” terms were that showed up on the map.
8.
Gordon | November 29, 2006 at 3:55 pm
The “other” around Pepsi’s home in eastern North Carolina is undoubtedly people using “Pepsi” as a backlash to the term “Coke”.
9.
themiddlemanager | December 28, 2006 at 12:44 pm
I grew up calling it a drink in NC, and when I moved up to the north east for a bit, when I said drink, they understood that to be something with alcohol in it, when I simply wanted a Coca-Cola. Now, after spending a few years there in school, and hearing people from around the world call it soda and pop, I am now officially going with soda-pop! :)
10.
Sarah | February 4, 2007 at 10:06 am
I’m originally from Louisiana but my parents are from Illinois, so they’re calling it pop. Down here in Louisiana, if you tell someone you want a pop, they have no clue what you are saying.
11.
Melissa | February 12, 2007 at 12:33 am
i think people down in OREGON call it soda pop, or pop.
12.
Keith Morrris | March 19, 2007 at 10:58 pm
I’m from St. Louis where the term is SODA. people from the more “hoosier” areas -hoosier is a st. louis and mississippi valley term for hick- say POP. I recently moved to CANADA where they say POP and i got in many arguments about it. the reason areas like chicago, Milwaukee, new york, Los angeles and so forth say SODA is because of education. POP in an onomatopoeic a term used to describe the sound a soda makes when opened but who turns an onomatopoeic into a noun…dumb people! if you call it pop in St. Louis you’ll most likely be asked “you mean a soda?” in a rhetorical way as a sort of “look the proper term is SODA!” but call it a Coke and for the most part thats fine but they will assume you mean a coca-cola classic but because thats the brand name of the drink it is acceptable. but where ever I go i take SODA with me!
13.
jim | May 8, 2009 at 11:43 am
People can name something whatever they want. SODA refers originally to SODA-WATER anyway chump. “Dumb-people” called soft drinks thereafter SODA which is inaccurate at best. SODA-POP or POP-SODA would be better and Soft Drink or Carbonated non-alcoholic beverage the most accurate. In the end POP just sounds kewler, in spite of any grammatical errors.
14.
Craig Donaldson | April 5, 2007 at 10:33 pm
We call it POP in Canada. There’s no right or wrong. If I go to
those states where it’s called SODA and they ask me “You
mean a soda?” I’ll just say: “Yes please”
15.
Nick Martin | April 19, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Pop is what it’s called in Northwest NY. i moved to western PA where evry1 calls it “soda”. I still call it pop and evry1 gets a good laugh out of that.
16.
Chicago Guy | May 17, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Keith, your statement is incorrect. As you can see from the map, we “dumb people” in Chicago actually refer to it as “pop”. Since I seldom have the opportunity to visit the cultural Mecca that is St. Louis, Missouri, I’ll have to take your word that the reason St. Louis, New York & L.A. all use the term “soda” is because of some shared elevated level of intelligence. Your use of six syllable words (onomatopoeic) proves the point. Also, if y’all in St. Loius weren’t such geniuses, how else could you have built that bitchin arch?!
17.
Roger | May 30, 2007 at 12:04 am
im from detroit and we all call it pop. I just recently moved to arizona, where they call it soda. So now if i call it pop, i hear a ton of crap from my friends.
POP RULES!!!
18.
Texas Buckeye | June 23, 2007 at 10:53 am
Keith ~ I think you have an attitude problem and are a snob. Does it really matter what people call it that you have to make such a big deal and like a child, call people names? It’s a word, for goodness sakes !!! Learn to have a sense of humor.
I grew up in OH and lived there most of my life and it’s always been called pop (definition of pop is above in case you missed it), then I married my husband and moved to TX where they call it soda. When I ask my husband to get me a pop, he asks if I mean soda and we laugh.
A friend of mine in TN always calls it coke, even if he wants a Dr Pepper, root beer or whatever. Now that one I do NOT understand in any way, shape or form. You get what you ask for.
Another thing that is different throughout the country is when you ask for tea. In the south, it means “iced tea” but when you go north where the weather is cold, you get hot tea so we all learn to be specific when we travel ~ it’s called education but in a friendly way and not with an attitude.
To me it is just a learning experience because no where in the world will people say the same thing all the time about any one subject. It doesn’t make anyone “wrong” OR dumb, it just makes us all different and individuals the way God intended.
Craig ~ liked your answer :) That’s the way it should be and I get teased alot down here but that’s ok ~ I laugh right along with them and tease right back.
Thanks for the extra information ~ this is interesting.
19.
Pennsylvania | June 25, 2007 at 5:11 am
Now Kenneth dear come rub down fathers genitals before they get cold again. Now hmm how should I say this to you. Let me speak your language for a sec, You my lavish friend are an ASSHOLE, or should i say Buttocks, or should I say you got your ass beat everyday because no one likes you and your mother left your dad, and your dog shot your sister with daddys rifle and your aunt blows your dad for the $20 crack fix she needs for her husband or she gets the back of his hand
20.
Brooklyn, NY | June 29, 2007 at 7:25 am
In New York, they call it “soda” only in general. When you buy or order some, you say specifically what you want — coke, pepsi, sprite, club soda/seltzer, cherry coke, grape soda, etc. When someone says “POP”, it sounds funny and most people think of the person who said it as a hillbilly. I’m not saying that they’re right, but that’s the general attitude. So, don’t say “pop” in New York… :)
21.
Michigan Wolverine | July 25, 2007 at 10:41 am
When I was growing up and saw commericals for “soda” I just assumed it was the “formal” name for pop, like commericals calling cars “automobiles”, because nobody called it soda where I lived. I didn’t realize pop wasn’t a universial term until my friend visited her sister in Georgia and she came back and told me everyone called pop “Coke” down there. That boggled my mind. How could you call everything Coke but actually want something different?
In college I met someone from New York who called it Soda so I’d tease him and tell him soda was something that you baked with not drank. I guess he didn’t mind getting teased since he ended up marrying me…although he still calls it soda.
22.
Bri-Lee | August 3, 2007 at 11:45 am
I did a random search on Google for ‘new reserch’ and found my way to your site. I am all the happier for it. Anyhow to respond to your article about soda, pop, coke and fizzy drinks, for me, I say pop, even though I am from Lancaster California and everyone else uses the term soda. I do this on purpose, becuase I believe that there is a choice given to me, in what kind of vocabulary and varied pronunciation, I use.
23.
MichiganKen | August 8, 2007 at 12:38 pm
If you look at a map of North America before 1763 and the map above, you’d be shocked. What was then the French territories are the areas that call it pop (the great lake states and all of Canada). What were the British Colonies are the areas that call it pop. Most of what was Spanish territory (and the most southern states) call it coke. It’s interesting that the oddball appears to be Missouri. It was part of the Spanish territory, yet it is the only state in the midwest to call it “soda”
24.
Andrew P. Kantz | August 29, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I know it’s off the topic but I need some St Louisans to help me out: the compound word “serve-a-lot”. It is some kind of meat possibly resembling bologna. The compound was has been isolated to a grocery store on the corner of Virginia Avenue and Pestalozzi Street called I believe the “Four Corners’” and run by one Claude. The compound word would have been in common use in that neighborhood at least c. 1965.
Any help? Please circulate this query. I WANT TO PRESERVE ST LOUIS LINGUISTIC CULTURE. IT DESERVES TO BE PRESERVED.
25.
Ria | August 30, 2007 at 10:51 am
Interesting. Well, in Singapore we just merely call ‘Coke’ or ‘Pepsi’ by its brand name.
I had an exchange student from Minnesota, US. Apparently, he said they termed it pop.
26.
Im stupid | September 3, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I call it soda. when i visit my cousins up in michigan, they call it pop. it kinda annoys me as they also say they want a cleanex instead of tissue…off topic! anyways, i always say soda. always have.
27.
jess | October 25, 2007 at 2:09 pm
i live in south carolina and i call it soda most of the time but sometimes i call it coke
28.
jc | November 25, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I usually just call it “beer”; why would you want a soft drink anyway?
29.
Build Muscle w/ The Middl&hellip | November 26, 2007 at 2:42 am
I am going to have to admit that jc makes a very good point…
30.
Andrew P. Kantz | December 18, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Would you please be so kind as to remove the post Number 23 dated 29 August 2007? PLEASE?
31.
Derf | December 21, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I have always called it Coke. I always will because , I want a Coca Cola I suppose that makes me always correct .Only problem I have is , Pepsi is taking over the restaurant business by storm. I can’t help it I’m from Chattanooga Tn , Home of the very first Coca Cola bottling company. Dosen’t the song go “I’d like to buy the world a Coke”. No mention of Pop , Soda Nor Pepsi .
32.
nikki | January 4, 2008 at 10:42 pm
in ohio we call it pop. when I go to miami,fl where my husband’s from they laugh or look at me strange. most of them have never heard the term “pop” they know it as soda. I think its funny.
33.
Bob | January 9, 2008 at 11:46 am
It’s POP where I’m from, but if someone asks for a SODA, at least I know what their talking about. I went to California and ordered a pop at the McDonalds. They didn’t have a clue what I was talking about!
34.
Patrick | January 20, 2008 at 7:33 am
I’m from California/Nevada and always called it soda or Coke, but moving to Minnesota for a couple years was like visiting a foreign country. Everything’s “pop” and “borrow me” and stuff. Was actually a fun learning experance, I’m back in California now but I seem to have brought back a few phrases and a slight accent LOL.
35.
Alyssa | January 21, 2008 at 2:27 pm
do americans think coca cola tastes better than sprite?
36.
Erin | February 4, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I grew up using the word “pop,” and according to the map, that is the word that is most often used in my area. But I went to high school about 45 minutes away from where I grew up. People there seemed to use the word “soda,” more often, an according the map, this is true. Now I use both words interchangeably since I have been exposed to both.
37.
Justin | February 7, 2008 at 1:51 am
Im from Maryland, where soda and coke is used…I personally call it Coke, and thats usually how it is in Southern Maryland, where I’m from. But in the big cities in Maryland, it’s called soda. But if you say pop in Maryland, people are going to ask “Are you from up north?”, or “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” And if you ask for a coke, they’ll ask what type. My roomate is from Michigan, and when I told him that, he thought it was the weirdest thing, but my other roomates from Georgia and Northern Florida said it’s the same way where they live, just like my friend from Alabama said.
38.
matt | February 7, 2008 at 10:48 am
im from ohio and ive always called it pop. I dont undestand why you would call it coke if you wanted something else??
And i’ve never called it a soda before. My aunt and uncle in new jersey always say soda pop. I think it’s very interesting how differecnt states for the most part have their own little nickname.
39.
Brandon | February 14, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Canada is excluded from this map for some odd reason. Anyway, in Canada, soft drinks are almost universally called “pop”. An exception is among Anglophones in Quebec, who often call it “Coke”, as do southern Americans. So between Seattle/Vancouver, Denver/Calgary, and Minneapolis/Winnipeg, you’ll hear the same word–”pop”–regardless of the border.
Growing up in Seattle, we always called it “pop”.
West of about Milwaukee, the accent is very similar, too.
40.
Jackie | February 20, 2008 at 6:26 am
I don’t trust anyone who calls it anything other than POP
41.
Brian | February 24, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Here in Alabama we call all soft drinks COKE–I know its kinda silly but whether its Dr Pepper, Mt Dew, Sprite or whatever its a COKE
42.
Michigander in NY | February 28, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Hey Brandon – Canada is excluded from this map because it is a map of the United States. As much as Canadians wished it was – but so vigorously deny it out of jealousy – Canada is not part of the US.
Were you also wondering why Cuba was left out? South Africa? Iraq?
This thread is awesome, some funny posts on here.
I guess I’ll actually comment on the topic – I’m from Michigan and obviously call it pop. I’ve been living in NYC for 4 months now and am catching myself saying soda. I feel like a poser, then immediately correct myself and say “POP, I meant pop”, even though people call me an idiot and a loser and sometimes punch me in the face.
I love pop.
43.
Michigander in NY | February 28, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Oh and to post #34, Alyssa….
Yes, every single American thinks Coca-Cola tastes better than Sprite, no exceptions.
44.
Electro | March 4, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I don’t get it. It’s Soda Pop, what difference does it make wether you say Soda or Pop? The person should still understand what you are refering to. Anyone who calls it Soda is fine but if someone asks for a pop, don’t act all superior and act like you don’t know what they mean.
Anyways the term Soda is from soda water, that is water with bubbles in it. Later someone put flavour in the Soda water and called it pop. So for modern soft drinks the term Pop is more accurite. Anyone who orders a Soda should get served bubbly water or tonic water.
45.
Andrea | March 7, 2008 at 7:26 pm
This is so funny!
I never thought anyone would actually reasearch this…
I grew up in BC, Canada and called it Pop. There was even a generic, serve yourself store called “The Pop Shop” that sold every flavor you could imagine. (a little kid’s DREAM)
Then I moved to Massachusetts, and the waitresses looked at me funny and said “what?”. Thus I now call it Soda.
I have been back in BC for 7 years, and I still call it Soda.
Personally, when I am at a restaruant, I order Beer. :)
PS – Is there research out there regarding the whole Bun vs. Roll issue?
46.
Will | April 6, 2008 at 1:59 pm
While I realize that the research would suggest otherwise, I hardly ever hear the term “Coke” used to generically refer to soft drinks here in Louisiana. In fact, “soft drink” per se is extremely common and what, I would say, is the most common expression for sodas throughout the South. I cannot imagine ordering a Coke–a specific drink, mind you–and being asked what kind. For what it’s worth, hearing “pop” still makes me cringe. I think it sounds childish.
47.
Tim | April 14, 2008 at 8:13 am
A guy I know put this survey together on the subject, and it shows the results using Google maps:
Soda vs. Pop survey
It only has a few responses so far, but it seems to follow the same pattern. Feel free to add your own responses!
48.
Erik T. | May 25, 2008 at 9:05 am
What I find humorous is that if you look at the Iowa-based food store chain Hy-Vee’s packaging, they call it soda.
Take a look at Sprite, Sunkist, Welch’s, Michigan favorite Vernor’s or any other mass produced package… it says “soda.”
Pop is Snap & Crackle’s little yellow hat-wearing buddy. Carbonated beverages are soda.
49.
Michael | June 22, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Well, I guess I’m the first Bostonian to reply.
When I was a kid everyone called it “tonic”, and many people still do. Now that there are so many from other parts of the country here, I hear that less and less.
Whenever we heard someone say “pop” or “soda pop”, we thought they were hillbillies, the kind of people who called their aunts “ants” (not that there are any hillbillies within about 500 miles of Boston).
Now I’m in a quandary about what to call it. Nothing really sounds right anymore. I usually say “soft drink” today, but it sounds awkward. When a friend of mine says “tonic”, his teenage kids (who’ve never lived anywhere but Boston) groan.
50.
Paul | June 26, 2008 at 10:12 am
I’ve lived in Boston, SF, L.A., and now MInnesota, and have always used soda, except now in the MN, they say pop. This isgoing to siund strange, but growing upo in Boston inthe 60’s-70’s, I grew up calling it “tonic”. I dont know if it was something in my family, or Italian Amreicans in Boston, but Ive never heard that anywhere else.
51.
Diesel | July 11, 2008 at 10:16 am
I’m from Southern Maryland, been to FL, RI, PA, CA and others. I’ve always heard soda. I’m in the military and soda is the common word used – people who grew up in other areas that call it pop just call it soda. I agree that there is a perception of a lack of education when calling it pop, as someone will correct you. “Hey when I open this here fizzy drink it goes pop and then fizzies in my mouth making my mouth all tingly, so I calls it pop.” I’ve never seen a movie or show where they call a coke or a root beer a pop. If someone asks for a coke, I always here well we don’t have coke but we got pepsi. If you ask for a coke, you get a coca-cola or a pepsi. I just think pop sounds childish IMHO.
52.
hillbilly bob | August 19, 2008 at 3:34 pm
when us un-edjumacated folk ask for “pop,” how’s come you so-called “elites” have no clue what we be talkin’ ’bout, but we know what you want when you says “soda”?
53.
Care C. | August 25, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I found this to be all in the spirit of fun, until I read the arrogant comment of Eric T in comment #47.
“Pop is Snap & Crackle’s little yellow hat-wearing buddy. Carbonated beverages are soda.”
“Pop” is what the hell we CALL it, where we’re from. This, “if you call it something other than what we call it where I’m from, then you’re wrong” attitude is just on the other side of stupid.
In equally arrogant fashion, weI could also turn up our nose s and declare that, “Soda is what is used to bake and get stains out of neckties. Carbonated beverages are POP.”
I’m from Detroit, and if I tell you I want a “pop,” and you ask me if I meant a “soda,” I’m more than likely to inform you that I “meant” what the f**k I just asked you for, and expect you to expand beyond YOUR regional dialect and figure that out before the next commercial break.
54.
Carey C. | August 25, 2008 at 5:19 pm
BTW, Diesel, read the above post.
There’s nothing “childish,” or “uneducated” about referring to a soda pop as “POP.”
I assure you that I am just as educated as you or anyone else here. That is simply what it is referred to where I am from.
You people are missing the point…it is REGIONAL, not based on EDUCATION LEVEL.
This silly argument that suggests that all “smart” people say “soda” has totally ignored that fact.
55.
Girl From Missouri | September 6, 2008 at 11:55 am
I live in South Western Missouri, and we use both. It IS possible for soda and pop drinkers to live in harmony. When you ask for either, you’re understood, and you won’t be made fun of. So don’t be prejudiced of soda/pop drinkers.
56.
Mark | September 25, 2008 at 9:49 am
Wow, there are some angry pop/soda drinkers out there.
I’m from Omaha and throughout my younger years, I really didn’t know any other word than pop. I didn’t start hearing soda until I left the area and as just about everybody else I met that wasn’t from Omaha called it soda I always thought that the geographical boundries of the word pop was much more limited than I just found out it was by reading this site.
There was a reference to pop in advertising. Way back when, the company Shasta had advertising (’70’s-’80’s), where the song/jingle went something like “you wanna pop, pop, you wanna Shasta”. I don’t know how regional Shasta is. I’m guessing it’s not a national brand, and here it’s seen as a cheap multiflavored pop/soda.
It’s interesting how this disucssion of regional vocabulary brings out such hostility in people. They really are only words, describing mostly something not overly important.
I might have more adventures and tales with the words, but fortunately/unfortunately I don’t like pop/soda, so I really don’t have too much reason to say it when I’m out of town. We use theword pop though at home, because my wife and kid drink it. My wife’s from Mexico City, so we moved back to Omaha “pop” was the first word she got exposed to, and on an off the wall kind of tale, the first time she was in a restaurant with her limited English at the time and asked for a “pop”, she actually ended up asking for “poop”, which caused a giggle or two.
In a vaguely related topic, here’s a question: in my family (mom, dad, brothers and sisters), the act of cleaning with a vaccuum cleaner is more often than not called sweeping and the vaccuum cleaner is referred to as the “sweeper”. Not too long ago, I asked one of my kid’s friends to bring me the sweeper because I had to vaccuum, meaning of course the vaccuum cleaner, and he brought me a broom, because he didn’t know what I wanted, and guessed. Do other people out there use “sweeping” and “sweeper” to refer to vaccuming and the vaccuum cleaner?
57.
Ani | December 1, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I really enjoy this post. I have been discussing the differences for years about pop vs soda. Drinking fountain vs bubbler, rubber binder vs rubber band, kitty corner vs katty corner. There are so many. It is great to see so many contributions. We are all alike, yet different. Embrace it!
58.
HERTZ | January 28, 2009 at 10:57 am
IN DETROIT,CHICAGO,OHIO & CANADA WE CALL IT POP!
NOT SODA,AND WE CALL SHOES GYM SHOES, NOT SNEAKERS OR KICKS
59.
bader | January 28, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Im from canada… its POP here… u call it soda and ppl will just be like wtf man u mean pop rite? and callin it coke will just get u a coca cola… or some drugs
60.
Johnny | February 12, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I’m from New York. It’s Soda. Pop just sounds ridiculous.
Forget about it.
61.
Walter | February 25, 2009 at 2:57 pm
somehow i have been using soda-pop for a while. im in new york
62.
Joe | March 17, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I was born and raised in Chicago, and all my life, myself and my family said SODA and now their kids say Soda.
When I read this blog, II took a survey of 50 people at work and 45 said soda and 4 said POP , and only 1 said soda pop ! !
63.
Danka | April 3, 2009 at 8:10 am
I was born and raised in wonderful minnesota. I have always called it “pop”. Soda was a foreign concept to me until my relatives visited and informed me of this. I am going to school in virginia where they generally call it “soda”. In virginia its possible to be corrected when you say pop, (which bugs me) but on the other hand people still know what your talking about so I know its spoken somewhere in this state or maybe the multiple term information on soda pop is stated in virginia history books. whatever the case, my minnesotan accent is what throws my roommates off the most. When I said the word “bag” for the first they literrally didnt understand what I was saying. My accent makes it seem I am saying “beg” apparrently. Other words my rommates harass me about (all in fun play) is my long o’s in words like foood and apparrently I say milk wrong. They say im too close to canada…I say they dont speak english, I mean viriginia isnt even a “state”, its a grouping of independent couties known as a commonwealth. what is that noise?
Go POP!
64.
MARK HILSOTN | May 3, 2009 at 12:41 am
IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT. iTS THE SAME THING. I SAY SODA AND I SAY POP. WHEN IM AT MY BROTHERS IN LAS VEGAS I SAY SODA . WHEN IM IN OHIO WHERE IM FROM I SAY POP. IF YOU SAY YOU WANT A COKE AND THEY SAY WHAT KIND IN THE SOUTH I WOULD CALL THAT PERSON A RETARD CUS WHY WOULD YOU HEAR SOMEONE SAY A BRAND AND ASK THEM WHAT KIND. THEY JUST FUCKING SAID IT DUMBASS. IF I SAY I WANT COKE I WANT COCA COLA. IF I WANT A ROOTBEER I SAY I WANT A ROOTBEER. COKE TO ME WOULD MEAN YOU WANT COLA NOT OTHER KINDS. IF NO COCA COLA I SAY HOW BOUT A PEPSI. AND IDIOT GUY WHO SAID POP IS STUPID, YOU ARE STUPID. WE WHO SAY POP DONT MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE WHO SAY SODA. IT HAS TO DO WITH AREA DIALECT. LIKE ENGILISH PEOPLE SAY TELLY INSTEAD OF TV. WHICH IS FINE IN MY OPINION BUT THE COKE MEANING ANY KIND OF POP IS JUST GAY. I LOVE THE PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH DONT GET ME WRONG BUT TO ME THAT MAKES NO SENSE. WHY NOT JUST SAY WHAT YOU WANT SPRITE,COKE,PEPSI,MOUNTAIN DEW IT IS THAT FUCKING EASY COME ON SOUTHERNERS CATCH UP WITH THE TIMES!!
65.
jman of canada | May 6, 2009 at 2:08 pm
i live in canada BC and here the call it pop in the states peeps are dumb they think we live in god dam iggloisXD so viva la pop!!!!!!
66.
jman of canada | May 6, 2009 at 2:09 pm
and its not sodaXD
67.
Chris | May 29, 2009 at 3:03 am
I can confirm in Alberta (Canada) everyone I know says ‘pop’, although I don’t think that ’soda’ is really that weird, but saying ‘coke’ on the other hand, to refer to all softdrinks, is really weird.
68.
Stephanie | June 2, 2009 at 7:54 am
I’m from Michigan and up there we all say “pop”. However, my grandma is from Alabama and they most always say “soda”. And my friend from Texas calls it “coke”.
I will refrain from the versus argument and just say that I love the diversity in our country, even if it’s just about soft drinks.
Sooo… yay soda-pop-coke! =)
69.
April | June 9, 2009 at 1:36 pm
When you grow up using one word, like Coke for all soft drinks, then it isn’t weird. It’s your “normal.” That’s what makes us different. Until I went to college, I used the word Coke to refer to all sodas. Now, I use the term soda. My relatives in Indiana say soda pop; my sister still says Coke. It’s akin to calling a vehicle a car, when the thing to which you are referring is actually a minivan or SUV.
70.
Rick | June 15, 2009 at 10:05 am
I think that it would be more akin to calling all vehicles SUVs and then having people ask which type of vehicle you meant.
I disagree on pop vs soda being like telly vs TV. Telly and TV are both abbreviations for television whereas pop and soda are two different words. At least soda comes from soda water, thereby categorizing it as a flavored carbonated water. Pop is just a sound that it makes with no other valid basis in previous words or logic.