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.

[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.

[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

[Patty Hann]

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

HA! Could have told you that. "Cool and Trendy" is my middle name

[Rich Engelhardt]

I grew up a 'Coke" and married into a pop.

[Curt Harms]

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

Growing up in the upper midwest it was always "pop", never heard of "soda" until I moved to eastern PA. I thought the term "pop" was limited to the upper midwest, didn't know the term had made its way to western parts of PA & NY. The things I learn on Sawmill Creek

[Jim Becker]

When I was growing up it was mostly "soda" but some relatives used the term "Soda-pop".

[Patty Hann]

When I was growing up it was mostly "soda" but some relatives used the term "Soda-pop".

The only time I heard "Pop" when growing up was exactly that way: "soda-pop"... and I didn't hear it very often.

[Mike Null]

Another southern Ohio boy here. It was always pop but sometimes coke was used instead of pop.

To this day the best drink I ever had was when the family was traveling from Ohio to Warner Robbins GA during WWII. We stopped for gas and got a real Coke, in the bottle from one of those 5 cent machines that stored the Cokes on hangers in a tub of ice. For a boy of 6 that was heaven.

[Earl McLain]

Another southern Ohio boy here. It was always pop but sometimes coke was used instead of pop.

To this day the best drink I ever had was when the family was traveling from Ohio to Warner Robbins GA during WWII. We stopped for gas and got a real Coke, in the bottle from one of those 5 cent machines that stored the Cokes on hangers in a tub of ice. For a boy of 6 that was heaven.

Try a Coke made in Mexico, icy cold. You may relive that moment.

[Bryan Rocker]

Pop, you cook and clean with soda.