Pop vs. Soda

June 4 2004

Some of the recent topics haven't garnered much in the way of commentary...this one should do it, though.
Here are survey results for the US -- where is it called "pop" and where is it called "soda".  Oh, and the south, where it's just "Coke" regardless of flavour.  Apparently, "tonic" wasn't given as a choice to those based in the Boston area.
Since I've learned to adopt to local culture as much as possible, I tend to use the regional preferred term as I travel.
(thanks for the link, Kitty)

Ed Brill | Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Travel  Add/View Comments [13]

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  1. 1  Mike Schmitz  | 6/4/2004 2:15:53 PM

    Slow day Ed?

  1. 2  Scott Kingery http://tinyurl.com/3fdsf | 6/4/2004 2:56:20 PM

    Don't forget when in the south to order your iced tea unsweetened. Unless of course you prefer it that way.

  1. 3  Bruce Elgort http://www.BruceElgort.com | 6/4/2004 3:38:42 PM

  1. 4  Tim Latta  | 6/4/2004 3:42:35 PM

    Knowing people on each side of that distinctively different color line between Milwaukee and Chicago, I can validate that information.

  1. 5  Christopher Byrne http://www.thecayugagroup.com/ | 6/4/2004 4:21:09 PM

    I lived right on the border of upstate NY between Soda and Pop. When i was young, naive, and innocent (wait I still have 2 of those 3), I went to school at LeMoyne College in Syracuse (2004 NCAA Lacrosse Champions (DII)!), where some people from Rochester said they were going downstairs to get a can of "Pop". Having had a few beers, I thought they said "Pot" and expressed surprise that it came in cans. Can you say much grief received the rest of the year?!

    True story:-).

    It would be interesting to tie in the name preference for Presidential voting preferences...hmmmm

  1. 6  Mike Lazar  | 6/4/2004 6:11:58 PM

    My mother and her family still cause me to wonder about "bubbler". Only in Wisconsin would a drinking fountain be reduced to bubbler.

  1. 7  Darren http://www.dadams.co.uk | 6/4/2004 6:22:20 PM

    Fizzy drinks, that's what we call 'em.

    I tried Diet Coke with Lime when I was in Florida. Very nice. I prefer Vanilla Coke but the sugar content is too high. Diet Vanilla Coke is awful.

    Can we go back to talking about how Domino is better than Exchange please?

  1. 8  Nathan T. Freeman  | 6/4/2004 11:29:02 PM

    "Can we go back to talking about how Domino is better than Exchange please?" LMAO. Amen to that!

  1. 9  Carl  | 6/5/2004 2:49:55 AM

    Growing up with a Welsh Dad and Scouse mother, we called it pop.

  1. 10  Steve  | 6/5/2004 5:02:43 AM

    Darren,

    I mentioned to a colleague that another client had approached us to bid for an Exchange to Domino project. His response (he's a Microserf), "Oh no! Not another one. Hope this isn't becoming a trend"... :-)

  1. 11  Bonj http://bonj.blogspot.com | 6/5/2004 9:31:10 PM

    Interesting. Growing up in Missouri (that's Missouree for me - there is a split on this one too even within the state - Missouree vs. Missouruh) I have been in the small area that calls it soda. Everyone around here does. When I lived in Kansas for a while I found out it was pop there and having relatives in Iowa can attest that it is pop there as well as the survey shows. They will look confused if you say soda in either place. Many it is my understanding think of an ice cream soda, when simply stating soda. My soda of choice, Coke.