By now, we’ve all seen the surveys and maps on what Americans call carbonated beverages. However, in these surveys they only allow you to pick one word (i.e., soda, pop, coke, tonic, and other) as though people only use that one word exclusively. Thus, I’m going step beyond these well-known “Pop v. Soda v. Coke” surveys to ask whether you use just one word for carbonated beverages or two or more words.
If you want, you can also tell us what word or words you use.
Pretty much just “soda.”
(Anybody remember “Soder Cola” from Superman comics?)
I grew up in eastern NY which is solid soda country. I moved out the western NY back in the mid-eighties. Back then this was pop country but it’s been fading over the years. I think nowadays soda might be a more common term than pop around here.
Soft drink.
My dad used to refer to it as “lolly water”
Soft drink. Occasionally soda (mostly when I’m pandering to the pommie love of my life).
As a New York-born person living in Kansas, of course I have to use “two terms interchangeably” – if by that you mean I try to tailor the term I use to the particular situation. Normal speech, say with acquaintances who live in Kansas but probably were raised somewhere else (higher ed milieu)? I probably revert to “soda”. At the checkout line at the local grocery store? Usually force myself to say “pop.”
Soft drink - have heard it referred to as fizzy drink
Soda, pop, soda pop, soft drink–I use 'em all. Good idea for a poll; wonder why more people don’t realize people use different terms.
Waitaminute. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that map before, and maybe just didn’t notice, but… are Oregon and Washington really so strongly “blue states”? I can’t specifically recall what people from those states have said, but I think “pop” would’ve been a spit take moment if I heard it. I’m allowing for people changing their words to fit in to their current state, of course.
I’m guessing the discrepancies in counties like Wheeler (OR) and Trinity (CA) are statistical blips due to low populations and don’t mean much.
Are we talking about burp juice?
Wait, if it has to be one word, I guess I always thought pop sounded poppier. But I prefer burpjuice.
I don’t like carbonated soft drinks, so I have no brand preference. Saying “carbonated soft drinks” is cumbersome so I just say soda.
In the South, we tend to just call drinks by their brand name. Sometimes “soft drinks”.
after finding out that saying tonic outside of new england with gain you a disgusting beverage. i went with the next word i heard for this beverage. i was in nebraska, so it was “pop”. when i get teased about that i go with “carbonated beverage” in a british “foo-foo” accent.
“Want some coke?”
“Sure.”
“Root beer or grape?”
The south.
Soda or tonic. (36 y/o from MA)
Ohio. Pop.
Just… no. Not this again.
Pop, or by their specific names.
If someone is at the house I might say, “Would you like some pop? We have Coke, 7-Up, and root beer.”
I’ve lived in enough places, though, that if someone offers me a soda, I don’t expect seltzer, syrup, ice cream, chocolate, whipped cream, and a cherry. Which is sad, because I like sodas, too.
My city, Chicago, is supposedly in the “pop” zone, but I lived in a “soda” neighborhood on the Southwest Side. All the oldsters and kids alike generally called it “soda.” A couple neighborhoods away, though, and it was “pop.” So I use both terms interchangeably, although it’s a little bit of a deliberate choice if I use the word “pop” instead of “soda.” It’s not my natural, default word for the beverage.
Carbonated drink (yes, I do actually say that sometimes).
Fizzy (with or without "drink after it)
Soft drink
I flip between them all.
