In Australia, the term SOFT DRINK is pretty much universal. Small children sometimes call it “fizzy drink”. “Sparkling” is only used to define drinks which also come in a non-carbonated variety, such as mineral water. If you ask for “soda” you will get soda water, which is just carbonated water with no flavouring.
Easier just to stick to beer.
Very breifly. … Being from Northern Ohio, we call it pop. Never anything else.
After a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, we were traveling through rural North Carolina when we were pulled over in the backwoods. 2 rather large cops were out of the car and eyes were darting all over us and in the car. -Good lord better hide the weed!! We did.
After they looked around breifly, explained we were speeding, one cop asked us what was in the cooler that was visable in the back. My nervous friend replied, “pop.” The cop looks sorta taken back by this. Looks at his mate, then his mate asks, “wait, what do you have in the cooler?” He again nervously replied, “pop.”
“Alright open it up!” Friend gets out, opens the cooler to show them the POP. These backwoods cops thought he was saying “pot” and clearly thought they had us. They politelly laughed a little and issued the ticket and sent us on our way.