Pop or Soda?

[Patty Hann]

In the military (doens't matter which service) you meet folks from all over the country, and even from US territories.
I heard the different names for "carbonated beverages" (no hard and fast rules, of course) .
Midwest (where I'm from), SODA
Northern middle states (MI, MN WI) POP
East coast: POP
South: COKE... yep all soda was called Coke; how you actually differentiated between, say a Pepsi and a Dr Pepper, I have no idea. Also a "Soda" meant an ice cream soda.
SW (where I am now)... because there are so many transplants/snowbirds here from other states and also Canada I hear SODA and POP about equally.

[Ole Anderson]

Should have done the question as a poll. In Michigan, it is pop.

[Bill Howatt]

I hadn't realized there was so much use of "pop" in the US. Part of this might be because in movies and TV programs I always hear "soda" being used. Is this my imagination?

The bit about the South using Coke for everything was a surprise. We frequently use Coke for any cola drink but never for an orange or other drink.

[Patty Hann]

I hadn't realized there was so much use of "pop" in the US. Part of this might be because in movies and TV programs I always hear "soda" being used. Is this my imagination?

The bit about the South using Coke for everything was a surprise. We frequently use Coke for any cola drink but never for an orange or other drink.

I heard three people from the South use "Coke" for any soda... two from MS and one from LA... and I asked one of them "What about, say, 7-Up?" And she said, it's still "a Coke", until you actually order it.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

It's soda pop. You know, like Ponyboy's brother in the SE Hinton books; Sodapop Curtis.

Same here.

[mike stenson]

I say bubbler, which should letcha know.

[Earl McLain]

For me...
Sprecher's Root Beer
Hank's Birch Beer
--or--
Sioux City Sarsaparilla

One of the above every few weeks. I'm not what you'd call a drinker of pop or soda.

[Robert Hartmann]

I'm from southern Ohio and it was always pop. I'll second the comment about being in the military and meeting people from all over, most said pop.

My all time favorite was from my first assignment in San Antonio. I made friends with a guy from "rural" TX. He had a friend from his hometown that would stop by and he always asked for a "sody water."
* not sure if the spelling is correct

[Steve Wurster]

It's not like nobody asked this question before: https://popvssoda.com/

[Pat Germain]

In the military (doens't matter which service) you meet folks from all over the country, and even from US territories.

I had this experience when I moved to rural Oklahoma when I was in high school. If I said something, people did not hear it or did not understand it, they would say, "Do what?".

I was baffled by this and thought, "I wasn't suggesting you do anything".

Eventually, I figured out, "Do what?" was a local way of saying, "Sorry, I didn't get that".

When I enlisted in the Navy, oh yeah, major cultural differences!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Growing up in western NY state it was POP. In eastern New England it is SODA or in eastern Massachusetts sometimes TONIC.

[Lee Schierer]

I heard three people from the South use "Coke" for any soda... two from MS and one from LA... and I asked one of them "What about, say, 7-Up?" And she said, it's still "a Coke", until you actually order it.

Years ago, I had a date with a young lady near Pensacola Florida. We went to her house for dinner before going to a movie. Her Dad asked me "do you want a coke?" I said yes, then he said, we have Dr. Pepper, 7 up, Cocola, etc.

[Stan Calow]

I'm guessing the Coca Cola company decided not to sue the whole population of the south for violating their trademark.

[Pat Germain]

Growing up in western NY state it was POP. In eastern New England it is SODA or in eastern Massachusetts sometimes TONIC.

"Tonic" is technically tonic water which is soda water with quinine. The British military started drinking it with gin when they were deployed to tropical areas because the quinine keeps malaria at bay. After a while, they started drinking Gin and Tonic even when they weren't in the tropics. And rest is history...

[Bill Dufour]

Saw. a superbowl add for a new carbonated beverage company. Healthly good taste etc. They used the word Soda over and over. never pop.
Looked like cool and trendy people use "Soda."
BilLD