# Do you call it pop, soda or coke? A county-by-county map **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119 "2006-08-10T04:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/41 "2006-08-10T17:29:14Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck] I just “popped” in to ask about “tonic”. It’s not the whole northeast; I use either “soda” or “soft drink”. But I’ve heard it used any number of times. I think that it is still used by some folks 40 years and older in Boston and surrounding cities (Cambridge, Somerville, etc.). [/QUOTE] Ditto… “tonic” is used mostly by older people – my mother-in-law, for example. Personally, I like the word. I still think of Coke as being a bit of a tonic, in the pick-me-up sense. Must have been even more of a tonic when it still had cocaine in it. Someone should start a thread on disappearing New England regionalisms. When was the last time you heard anyone ask for a spuckie, for example? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/42 "2006-08-10T17:35:45Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Product genericide is not uncommon though. Got a cold? Get yourself some Kleenex. Headache? Take some Aspirin. And while you’re at it, why not xerox a copy of that report? [/QUOTE] It gets really strange in England, where any device that sucks dirt off the carpet is a hoover. Even the latest [Dyson hoover](http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:wKV8pEHQ_d8J:www.dysonhoovers.com/+%22dyson+hoover&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=27). As for the beverage, I grew up in Chicago, so it was pop. Out here, the norm is soda, but I randomly call the stuff soda or pop. And yes, my sister in law living in South Carolina will ask for a Pepsi Coke at restaurants. Caused no end of confusion at restaurants when she was visiting here a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/43 "2006-08-10T18:09:35Z")
1.) I’m pretty sure this, or one like it, has shown up on the SDMB before, but it’s been a while. 2.) I _have_ heard “tonic” used colloquially in Boston, but even back then in the 1970s it was rare, and now it’s disappearing. 3.) The map gives the area around Rochester a preferred “pop” . My experience, having lived there many years, was that I heard “soda” much more often. 4.) Salt Lake city was indeed a “soda” place, but I wouldn’t have guessed it was a “soda island”, surrounded by “pop” sayers. 5.) You gotta ask – if “tonic” doesn’t give at least a blip in New England, what are the terms used in those green areas on the map? “Soft Drink”? “Belly wash”? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/44 "2006-08-10T18:12:02Z")
Oh, yeah – bsed on the map, clearly Oklahoma and Kentucky are the FRont Lines in the great “pop” vs. “Coke” wars, and NY, PA, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin for “pop” vs. “soda”. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/45 "2006-08-10T18:12:47Z")
It’s pop in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/46 "2006-08-10T18:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] [http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html](http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html) Very interesting. The regional differences are certainly obvious. Of course, all right-thinking people KNOW that it’s pop, dammit! 😃 [/QUOTE] lol - hilarious! Thanks for the link! VCNJ~ (born in Coke-land, living in soda-land) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/47 "2006-08-10T18:47:08Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] No. Do you ask for a “Coke Pop”? [/QUOTE] Of course not. It might be- “Do you want a pop?” “Sure” “What kind?” “Coke” [QUOTE=Mahaloth] Uh…I’m from Michigan but your post seems a bit angry to me. Have you not learned that language is never about making sense and is just developed by the people in certain areas? [/QUOTE] Oh, I wouldn’t say angry. More irritated at what seems silly. If I listened to the “want a coke?” “sure, what kind?” “coke” routine just once I’d be like Kramden watching Norton warm up to play piano. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/48 "2006-08-10T18:53:21Z")
It’s 50-80% “pop” in my area. I tend to say “soda” more myself, though. In fact, it’s “pop” for the entire region in which I live. When I was a kid a friend of mine (who was also born and raised here in Idaho) always said “Coke”, which I thought was odd. One time he asked me, “I’m looking for my Coke, did you see where I left it?” I told him no, but would keep my eyes open for it. A few minutes later he said, “Here it is.” It was a can of 7-Up. Had I known this, I would have told him since I had seen the can, thinking it was someone else’s. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/49 "2006-08-10T18:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Using “coke” as the generic name for a soft drink makes about as much sense as using “chevy” as a generic name for a car. No, it’s like using “Bandaid” for all bandages. You don’t say, “Would you like a Curad Bandaid?” You say, “Would you like a bandaid?” “I’m allergic to some–what kind?” “Curad.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/50 "2006-08-10T19:10:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] …Someone should start a thread on disappearing New England regionalisms. When was the last time you heard anyone ask for a spuckie, for example? [/QUOTE] Ask, O Doper, and ye shall receive: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7666247#post7666247](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7666247#post7666247) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/51 "2006-08-10T21:24:56Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] I call it soda. From both where I live (York) and where I grew up (Lehigh), the map was pretty much spot on. My cousins, who live much farther west in PA (Clearfield) called it pop and again, the map was spot on. [/QUOTE] My parents grew up in Reading and moved to upstate New York to have me and I’ve only ever used “soda”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/52 "2006-08-10T21:53:23Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] It’s pop in Chicago. [/QUOTE] Not with me. Chicago’s got plenty of “soda” speakers, too. And they’re not all transplanted from elsewhere. I was born and raised here, and I know several speakers with the thickest Chicago accents you can find who also call it “soda.” I will admit that the predominant word around here is “pop,” but “soda” is popular enough, too. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119/53 "2006-08-10T21:57:55Z")
Growing up in the suburbs of Baltimore, it was always soda. Here in western Maryland, soda wins out on the survey, but pop gets a respectalbe standing, too; probably because we’re right on the line of parts of WV and PA that use pop commonly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-call-it-pop-soda-or-coke-a-county-by-county-map/368119.md?page=2)