I’m curious about this, too. I’ve never heard “pop” refer to carbonated water, myself. It’s always the completed drink. Carbonated water would be called “seltzer,” “club soda,” or “soda water” in these parts (which is generally considered “pop” country, though there is neighborhood-by-neighborhood variation.) “Pop” is the completed drink.
Add me to the list of inquiring minds that wonder what ingredient is the “pop” in soda pop.
I think they mean pop is an ingredient in an ice cream soda, which used to be commonly called a “soda”. An ingredient of an ice cream soda is soda pop, which can either be shortened to soda or pop.
Exactly, except that the generic name of a carbonated soft drink is just pop. “Soda pop” (or “sodee pop”) was kind of a ruralism, similar to how some people say “ink pen” instead of just pen, except so far nobody’s dropped the original word and started just calling them “inks”.
Well, but that’s not why we say “ink pens”. “Ink pens” happens because of the Pin-Pen merger.
Yes. In case it’s not clear, the “ink” is used to disambiguate between “pin” and “pen” in accents where they are pronounced alike.
i tend to call them all “drinks”
Usually I use “pop” or “soft drink” interchangeably. The only other exception is if I’m ordering a drink at a fast food place that has a fountain; then I use “Coke” or “Pepsi” depending on which brand they carry, but regardless of what I actually intend to get.
If I’m speaking naturally, it’s pop. When I’m talking to people here (in LA), I generally say “soda.”
When I’m ordering at a place that has do-it-yourself pop machines, I always ask for a soft drink.
I was actually surprised that people actually say “soft drinks.” I always thought that was just one of those industry terms, one used to avoid picking between “soda” and “pop.” (There’s absolutely no way anyone would use “coke” officially.)
I call it soda. This got me into trouble in Greece when I ordered an amaretto and diet soda, which of course came back as an amaretto and soda water or whatever that clear carbonated stuff is that they put in Scotch. “Amaretto and Coke Light” would have worked better.
So, in the US, I order in restaurants as “a diet soda” since there is usually only diet cola available, and if I say “diet Coke” I get “diet Pepsi OK?” or vice versa. I said “diet soda” the other night and the hostess who was covering for the waitress had to come back and ask me what I meant…?!
I’m from IL originally. I call it pop generically. If I don’t order something specific, I’ll order a “Pepsi-Coke” just to avoid the follow-up: “Is Pepsi (or Coke) ok?”
I’ll just say “cola” if I want to be generic, but, the truth is, “coke” has pretty much become generic for “cola” around here (Chicago.) I very rarely have anyone ask me “is Pepsi/RC” okay when Coke is not on offer. They just give me the house cola.