"Soda"vs."Pop"vs....?

[Fryk]

So, what does everyone here call that little can or bottle of carbonated goodness?

It seems like people get VERY attached to the regional name for it, wherever you are. I have lived all over the east coast and midwest of the US, and no matter wherer I have lived, if I don't call it by its "proper" name, I get weird looks.

"Pop? What's a pop? OH!! You mean SODA!! Hyuck hyuck derp!!"
Now that I am in Michigan, I get the reverse. It's so sad, it's hilarious.

So, what do you guys call it? And how passionate do you get about the ame?

[McDreidel09]

In Illinois, we say pop, but I always said soda because my dad would always say "It's soda. Pop is what I will do to your nose if you call it pop again." Of course, he was joking.

Pop just seems like what would happen to a balloon or what you call your dad or grandpa.

As for my passion, if someone says pop, I know what they mean and I don't care. I will just say soda. However, other people here will correct you with a passion.

[AdminAssistant]

I say 'soda' or, being a true Southerner and country girl, 'Coke'. 'Pop' sounds really strange. I hear a mix of all three in Kansas, of course, most of the people I hang out with are from all different areas of the country. My friends from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Ohio say 'pop.'

[Greenday]

I say 'soda' or, being a true Southerner and country girl, 'Coke'. 'Pop' sounds really strange. I hear a mix of all three in Kansas, of course, most of the people I hang out with are from all different areas of the country. My friends from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Ohio say 'pop.'

Coke is the only one I can't stand. Soda or pop, makes perfect sense. But Coke is a brand of soda. So if you ask for Coke, you are getting Coke. It'd be like going to a bar and calling all beers Bud or something.

[AdminAssistant]

Coke is the only one I can't stand. Soda or pop, makes perfect sense. But Coke is a brand of soda. So if you ask for Coke, you are getting Coke. It'd be like going to a bar and calling all beers Bud or something.

What do you call cotton swabs? Q-tips. What do you call an adhesive bandage? A Band-Aid. I really only say it at home, where the conversation goes, "Do you wanna Coke?" "Yeah" "What kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

[Stormraven]

I grew up in Kansas, and I think I recall calling it 'pop' usually. (It was a very long time ago.) Nowadays, I tend to call it soda.

[muses_nightmare]

As British Columbian I'm firmly on the Pop side of things. :p Soda is like club soda or something.

[Fashion Lad!]

Minnesota and it's pop here. Girlfriend calls it soda. She'll learn. :p

[IDrinkaRum]

I'm the odd man out, I think ...

I call it "soda pop"! :p

[Greenday]

What do you call cotton swabs? Q-tips. What do you call an adhesive bandage? A Band-Aid. I really only say it at home, where the conversation goes, "Do you wanna Coke?" "Yeah" "What kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

How many types of cotton swabs and bandages are there? There are the one brand name and there are the generics.

How many types of soda are there? Coke, pepsi, sprite, 7-Up, Dr. Pepper, Mr. Pib, etc. etc.

So, even when you ask for a band-aid or a q-tip, you are being exact in what you want. If you ask for coke but you want orange soda, that makes no sense.

[HYHYBT]

I'm not particular about 'pop' vs 'soda,' but would still tend to ask people saying 'pop' to repeat themselves, because it's a word I'm not used to hearing in that context and it doesn't always register right away. Especially over a Drive-Thru speaker, where your engine speaks louder than you anyway; throw in odd names for things, even if they're not odd where you're from, and it lessens your chances of being understood on the first try.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

This guy the other day playing L4D2 kept referring to band-aids as 'plasters'... that's a new one for me :D

'Round here, if you want a carbonated and possibly caffeinated beverage, you ask for soda. Otherwise we're just going to give you the rape face 'till you get your act straight...








Kidding!

I don't know if it's the whole 'tourist spot of the nation' spiel or what, but people in and around DC are generally used to occasionally having to decipher some slang. The only time this hasn't been true for me is when someone asked a vendor for 'A pack of fags' and it took the guy a minute to work out. At least, in my experience, for what that's worth (negative seventy cents, last time I checked).

[Lace Neil Singer]

Fizzy. If you asked for soda where I come from, you'd get soda water. XD "Pop" is a bit oldfashioned; don't know anyone personally who uses the term. Everyone I know calls it "fizzy" or if they are being pedantic, "fizzy drinks", or sometimes, referring to specific drinks; "Coke", "7up", "Tango".

[telecom_goddess]

What do you call cotton swabs? Q-tips. What do you call an adhesive bandage? A Band-Aid. I really only say it at home, where the conversation goes, "Do you wanna Coke?" "Yeah" "What kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

Yeah but it should only apply to other colas not all soft drinks in general. Just say Dr Pepper the first time :rolleyes:

Anyway around here people generally say pop....no particular passion that I've noticed.

[Plaidman]

mixed here. Good chunk say soda. Another good chunk say pop. I say pop, and/or name of soda. Though lately I been calling coke/cherry pepsi colas.

[lordlundar]

usually pop.

And here's a fun little map (http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/popvssodamap.gif)

[Ghel]

I grew up calling it pop. Then around 14 years old, I started calling it soda. Not because I moved, or anything like that. I just liked the sound of the word better. I get weird looks sometimes, but people know what I mean.

[joe hx]

For me, if the word is used just by itself, it's "pop." If I specify flavor, such as orange, grape, or cream, it becomes "orange soda," "grape soda," or "cream soda."

Sometimes I do call it by its full name: "Sodapop"

[Parrothead]

It's Coke, always has been, always will be. :p

[BookstoreEscapee]

What do you call cotton swabs? Q-tips. What do you call an adhesive bandage? A Band-Aid. I really only say it at home, where the conversation goes, "Do you wanna Coke?" "Yeah" "What kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

But there's no real difference between brands of cotton swabs or adhesive bandages. There is quite a difference between different types of soda.

And yes, I call it soda. Don't hear "pop" much in Jersey.

If I want cola in a restaurant and I'm not sure if they carry Coke or Pepsi, I'll usually just say Coke. If they carry Pepsi, the response is usually, "It's Pepsi, is that OK?" My brother usually orders "Coke, Pepsi, whatever."

[Greenday]

BookstoreEscapee, you don't hear pop much in Jersey cause no one calls it pop in Jersey.

[Fryk]

Then there's Louisiana, where they sometimes called it all Cold Drink. Pronounced Coooowd Drank

[DrFaroohk]

I saw a website a long time ago that would ask you what you call something and it'd tell you where it was called that...i.e. a big long sandwich like you get at subway is called a hoagie, a grinder, a sub, etc...

Anyone ever seen that site?

[Ghel]

usually pop.

And here's a fun little map (http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/popvssodamap.gif)
Hmm... Most of Minnesota is "pop" except for that little bit of Lake of the Woods that sticks into Canada. That's "other." I wonder what "other" is.

But there's no real difference between brands of cotton swabs or adhesive bandages.
Not to derail the thread, but there's actually a HUGE difference between adhesive bandages. Because of my psoriasis, I'm constantly using bandaids. Except not Bandaids. I use Nexcare bandages, because they stay on the longest. Despite their catchy jingle, Bandaids don't stick very long at all.

[sarasquirrel]

soda, of course ;)


but yea then you think of

band-aid
q-tips
kleenex (almost never hear tissue)

[Lace Neil Singer]

Right now, I'm imagining those of you who call fizzy "soda" asking for soda in a restaurant and then getting this: http://www.justminiatures.co.uk/images/medium/newimages/Soda-Can_MED.jpg

XD

[Nyoibo]

In Australia it's called soft drink, or you ask for what you want by name eg. coke, fanta.

[Greenday]

In Australia it's called soft drink, or you ask for what you want by name eg. coke, fanta.

Soft drink is another generic name for soda here. No one, when speaking, calls it a soft drink, but on menus and other times when written out, it is sometimes referred to as a soft drink.

[Fryk]

Soft Drink technically refers to anything non-alcholic, doesn't it?

[Nyoibo]

It can, but is usually used to refer to fizzy stuff.

Like you yanks use Soda not just for soda water.

[Rebel]

I call it soft drink or fizzy drink.

When I moved to B.C I had to change that to pop and I had to watch what I said. I would ask for a lemonade and end up with some lemon flavoured iced tea instead of the 7up or Sprite I was after.
That then got into the discussion of what was lemonade, what was traditional lemonade, and what was iced tea. Everywhere is different.

[muses_nightmare]

I would ask for a lemonade and end up with some lemon flavoured iced tea instead of the 7up or Sprite I was after.

Interesting, I've never heard of 7up or Sprite being referred to as lemonade. To me, lemonade, is a drink made from lemon juice water and sugar, nothing else.

I know I always have to remember that down in the States Iced tea is just that, cold tea. Here in BC it's basically the same thing as pop, so it's always sweetened. You don't ask for sweet tea here, just iced tea. (unless otherwise specified, I'm sure there are specialty shops and such)

[Fryk]

Fizzy Drinks would work, unless you're getting your beverage from Willy Wonka.

And if someone asks for soda, maybe I should just give them Arm and Hammer. They said nothing about water, after all...

[Greenday]

Interesting, I've never heard of 7up or Sprite being referred to as lemonade. To me, lemonade, is a drink made from lemon juice water and sugar, nothing else.

I know I always have to remember that down in the States Iced tea is just that, cold tea. Here in BC it's basically the same thing as pop, so it's always sweetened. You don't ask for sweet tea here, just iced tea. (unless otherwise specified, I'm sure there are specialty shops and such)

I've never heard of 7up or Sprite being referred to as lemonade either. I'm curious as to where that is from.

As for iced tea, it depends on where you are. In the North, you can get tea sweetened or unsweetened. In the South, if you ask for sweet tea, you are getting what I consider to be be sugar water.

[AdminAssistant]

As for iced tea, it depends on where you are. In the North, you can get tea sweetened or unsweetened. In the South, if you ask for sweet tea, you are getting what I consider to be be sugar water.

I have never, ever been able to get sweet tea in a restaurant anywhere up North. One of my friends from Pittsburgh had never even heard of sweet tea until she came over to my house for a dinner party. For the record, I don't make my tea all that sweet. Just enough to edge out the bitterness, maybe 1 or 1 1/2 cups for a pitcher.

[Rebel]

I've never heard of 7up or Sprite being referred to as lemonade either. I'm curious as to where that is from.

It's an Australian thing. I guess we just like to be different.
7up and Sprite and any similar product is lemonade.
Lemon flavoured fizzy drink is either the brands Solo or Lift, or can be referred to as traditional lemonade.
The other type, lemon juice with sugar and whatever, is really only found at fairs and royal shows. It's more of a gimmick thing.

[Stormraven]

McD's is doing Sweet Tea out here in CA. It's not proper sweet tea - it's about the same as yours, AA - about 1 cup of sugar for a gallon, from what I've been able to tell.

I grew up on the same - roughly 1 cup of sugar for a gallon of tea. I've been finding, as I grow older, that ½ a cup works well for me now.

[muses_nightmare]

Yeah, iced tea in Canada (BC anyway) doesn't really taste like American Iced tea. As far as I know, when it's in a fountain with other pop it's made with the syrup stuff that other pops are made with, but no carbonated water. I notice in Washington it's always in a big like....carafe thing (for lack of a better word), it's pretty much never made with fresh brewed tea here.

[AdminAssistant]

McD's is doing Sweet Tea out here in CA. It's not proper sweet tea - it's about the same as yours, AA - about 1 cup of sugar for a gallon, from what I've been able to tell.

Blech. McD's uses syrup, which is why it tastes like sugar water. Mine isn't that sweet.

[Stormraven]

Huh - it tastes about the same as the tea we made when I was young, and we used, as I said, 1 cup of sugar.

Alton Brown suggests syrup for sweet tea, since it dissolves better than sugar in iced tea - but I've always found it works well to add the sugar to the tea while it's hot, then cool it.

[AdminAssistant]

Alton Brown suggests syrup for sweet tea, since it dissolves better than sugar in iced tea - but I've always found it works well to add the sugar to the tea while it's hot, then cool it.

Brown makes his own syrup; I can almost guarantee that McD's uses HFCS gloop. I mix the sugar in some water, and then add the tea, dilute with water until the pitcher is full. Of course, I don't measure. I'm just guessing at how much I use. Could be completely off.

[Pagan]

In Illinois, we say pop,

What's funny is that my mom's family moved out here when she was 16, I've never heard her refer to it as anything but "soda".

being a true Southerner and country girl, 'Coke'.

I've heard that before. I wonder where it came from?

I'm the odd man out, I think ...

I call it "soda pop"! :p

Well, my grandfather used to call it "sodypop". We still don't know where that one came from. Just became a Gilbertism. :p

So, even when you ask for a band-aid or a q-tip, you are being exact in what you want. If you ask for coke but you want orange soda, that makes no sense.

It's a colloquialism is all.

soda, of course ;)


but yea then you think of

band-aid
q-tips
kleenex (almost never hear tissue)

Those are genericized trademarks. Another is Jell-o. How many people really call any other brand "gelatin"?


And here's a fun little map (http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/popvssodamap.gif)

That map's not completely right. It shows that both the county I was born and raised in and the one I live in now, we mostly call it "Coke". I've only ever heard that from one, maybe two, people in my entire life! In fact, other than new transplants, I've never heard it called anything other than "soda".

I would ask for a lemonade and end up with some lemon flavoured iced tea instead of the 7up or Sprite I was after.

Interesting, I've never heard of 7up or Sprite being referred to as lemonade. To me, lemonade, is a drink made from lemon juice water and sugar, nothing else.

What she said. Sprite and 7-Up are lemon-lime flavored.

As for iced tea, it depends on where you are. In the North, you can get tea sweetened or unsweetened.

As a side note, I get weird looks when I ask for hot tea sometimes. Like the only hot beverage there is is coffee.

Lemon flavoured fizzy drink is either the brands Solo or Lift, or can be referred to as traditional lemonade.

That might be the difference. That I can think of, we don't have any lemon-flavored carbonated beverages in the US.

The other type, lemon juice with sugar and whatever, is really only found at fairs and royal shows. It's more of a gimmick thing.

Now there's a culture thing. It's one of the most popular drinks in the summer in US. There's even a brand devoted to it! http://brands.kraftfoods.com/countrytime/

[MaggieTheCat]

Born and raised in Wisconsin, and we always called it Soda. I heard Pop once in a very great while, but it was pretty rare. I'd never heard it called "Coke" until I met my husband, when we were like 14 years old...that conversation was pretty hilarious, honestly. We both thought the other one was crazy (he was born and raised in Texas.) Somehow since then and now, though, he's started calling it "soda" too. He says we'll get funny looks if we call it "soda" in a restaurant or a store, though. Actually, that could be why I ended up with a 7-Up instead of a Coke or Pepsi like I asked for once. We had ordered delivery, and the guy taking the order asked if we wanted anything to drink, and I said, "Coke or Pepsi, whichever you've got" ... meaning either Coca-cola (the brand name) or Pepsi. I got 7-Up instead. Now I know better.

In most places in Wisconsin, the only iced tea you could get at a restaurant would be sweetened, but it would always be something like Lipton or some other packaged stuff...not actual homemade sweet tea. It was always sickeningly sweet, so I avoided getting iced tea when I went out. Here in Texas, when we ask for iced tea at a restaurant, we're ALWAYS asked, "Sweet or unsweet?" which is nice. I vastly prefer unsweet tea to sweet, even if it's generic packaged stuff.

[HYHYBT]

Brown makes his own syrup; I can almost guarantee that McD's uses HFCS gloop. I mix the sugar in some water, and then add the tea, dilute with water until the pitcher is full. Of course, I don't measure. I'm just guessing at how much I use. Could be completely off.Unless they've changed since June of last year, "Mickey D's Sweet Tea," as the window posters call it, contains one pound of sugar per gallon, including the volume of ice added to the warm tea in the urn. Specifically, in this area at least, we were sent Dixie Crystals up until about a year after they installed the automatic tea machines (before that we made it in the coffee makers, and had no official amount of sugar to use) and then were switched to Peninsular, made by Michigan Sugar, probably because it came in four-pound bags instead of five which made things much simpler as we were using four pounds at a time. Because a customer asked and I looked it up for her, I know that that company gets its sugar from beets.

No corn syrup. Though we did have "tea" sweetened with corn syrup for a couple of years when they tried switching us to Nestea Nastea. Not bad stuff, really, except that calling it "tea" leads people to expect it to taste like tea, at which it fails miserably.

[muses_nightmare]

when they tried switching us to Nestea Nastea. Not bad stuff, really, except that calling it "tea" leads people to expect it to taste like tea, at which it fails miserably.

If I'm understanding it right I'm fairly certain this is what we have up in BC, it's not common practice to have unsweetened fresh brewed iced tea. Though I'm fairly certain ours is made with sugar, rather than HFCS, but I couldn't say for sure since I don't have a bottle or can with me. I'm so used to this kind of iced tea that the other kind is kind of strange to me. I can't drink it anyway, because of the caffeine :(.

[fireheart17]

In Australia it's called soft drink, or you ask for what you want by name eg. coke, fanta.

Makes things a lot easier when you're ordering in a restaurant or at a bar. :p

Also in response to someone's earlier point about "What do you call Q-tips etc." here's a short list of Aussie terms for products like that. (left is Australian, right is American)

Panadol-Tylenol (It's the same product, but not made by the same company: Glaxosmith Kline makes Panadol, Johnson and Johnson makes Tylenol.)

Beados/Bindeez-Pixos/Aqua Dots (left name is post-recall)

Jumper/windcheater-Sweater/sweatshirt (although I've heard sweatshirt being used as well here)

Duracell Bunny-Energizer Bunny (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duracell_Bunny)

Biscuit/Bikkie-Cookie (although some products here are marketed as "Cookies" and we sell "Cookies and Cream" ice-cream flavour)

Chips-Fries (although Maccas and Hungry Jacks use the term "fries", KFC doesn't)

Hungry Jacks-Burger King (there are a couple of Burger Kings in other states)

Capsicum-Bell Pepper

Gridiron-American Football.

Ute-pickup truck (ute is short for utility vehicle. I tend to label them by the model)

trackies-usually just refers to track pants.

thongs-flipflops

and subsequently

thong-G-string. (I have never seen thong used on merchandise unless it's from the US)

runners/joggers/sandshoes-sneakers (although sneakers is also used here)

Budgie smugglers/speedos-As it sounds, it's basically men's swimwear. The term "budgie smugglers" refers to a man's erm...penis resembling a budgie hiding in there when wearing them. (that's just my guess)

spag bog/bol- spaghetti bolognaise.

snag-sausage.

barbie-BBQ :p

Fritz/Devon ham: basically it's processed pork and is YUMMY. Kids love it and we get a lot wanting "smiley fritz".

hammered/smashed-to get drunk.

[Stormraven]

Unless they've changed since June of last year, "Mickey D's Sweet Tea," as the window posters call it, contains one pound of sugar per gallon, including the volume of ice added to the warm tea in the urn. Specifically, in this area at least, we were sent Dixie Crystals up until about a year after they installed the automatic tea machines (before that we made it in the coffee makers, and had no official amount of sugar to use) and then were switched to Peninsular, made by Michigan Sugar, probably because it came in four-pound bags instead of five which made things much simpler as we were using four pounds at a time. Because a customer asked and I looked it up for her, I know that that company gets its sugar from beets.

No corn syrup. Though we did have "tea" sweetened with corn syrup for a couple of years when they tried switching us to Nestea Nastea. Not bad stuff, really, except that calling it "tea" leads people to expect it to taste like tea, at which it fails miserably.

A pound? :Shudder: It didn't taste that sweet to me, I have to say - but then, it's been a long time since I used even as much as a full cup per gallon, so I'll certainly buy that my calibration's off.

[GINSENG]

There are actually people who call it something other than pop? O_O

I've always lived in Michigan. Everyone I've ever known calls it pop. It sounds strange to call it something else.

[jackfaire]

I am a name brander guilty as sin, If I need a copy I ask for a xerox, I call them kodak moments, I need a kleenex and yes I ask for a Coke.

[HYHYBT]

A pound? :Shudder: It didn't taste that sweet to me, I have to say - but then, it's been a long time since I used even as much as a full cup per gallon, so I'll certainly buy that my calibration's off.
It may well not have been: some people can't be bothered to stir in the sugar properly, or even try to do it *after* adding the ice. So the sugar's still there, but a lot of it sinks to the bottom and winds up going down the sink instead of the hatch.

[Stormraven]

Never mind, I just realised today that two cups is a pound, and that's what most Sweet Tea uses - 2 to 2½ cups, according to some recipes. I just never made the connection before.

[Pagan]

There are actually people who call it something other than pop? O_O

I've always lived in Michigan. Everyone I've ever known calls it pop. It sounds strange to call it something else.

Obviously, considering this is the 5th page of "we call it this". :rolleyes:

I've always lived in New Mexico and we call it soda in English or Spanish. Sounds just as strange to me to hear it referred to as "pop".

[fireheart17]

Never mind, I just realised today that two cups is a pound, and that's what most Sweet Tea uses - 2 to 2½ cups, according to some recipes. I just never made the connection before.

Lol, given that we use the metric system down here, I have no clue how much is in a pound or what the conversion between pounds and kilos is :p

[Fryk]

I think a pound converts to about 2.blah dee blah blah kilos.

[Pagan]

I think a pound converts to about 2.blah dee blah blah kilos.

Ahem, putting on Pharm Tech hat here. (We had to memorize all sorts of conversions.)

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds.

1 pound = .45 kilograms

[Fryk]

2.20459, actually. I finally looked it up.

I still maintain it's 2.blah dee blah blah

[Pagan]

2.20459, actually. I finally looked it up.

I still maintain it's 2.blah dee blah blah

But a pound doesn't convert to 2.blah dee blah blah kilos. It's the other way 'round.

[Fryk]

Shhhh, Pagan. Maybe no one else noticed. Just act natural.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Remember, we can't see you if you stop moving.

[Fryk]

Sir Integra, you're a T-Rex with some frog DNA thrown into your sequence?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Sir Integra, you're a T-Rex with some frog DNA thrown into your sequence?

Yes, fuckin' frog DNA fucks everything up :p

[Fryk]

On the positive side, it means you can switch genders if the population of the other gender is low enough.