Pop or Soda - why do we have this cultural divide?!?

Question

It really irritates me when my friends/acquaintances from parts of the country refer to soda as "pop" - it just sounds wrong! How did we as a society get to the point of having different names for carbonated beverages in the first place? Furthermore, how do you feel - which is the proper term for a carbonated beverage, soda or pop?

Answer 1

"Soda pop" got split, and now people use one or the other. Although, soda is definitely more popular. I don't think I would ever refer to my Coke or Pepsi as my dad (pop).

Answer 2

It doesn't irritate me - but I do think it sounds weird or very 50'sesque when I hear people refer to soda as "pop." I've lived on the east and west coasts and I am used to hearing carbonated beverages referred to as soda. On brief trips to visit friends in the south I did catch some people saying pop and it just threw me for a loop -I mean, why not just call it soda like everyone else?
I personally think that the national word for carbonated beverage should be soda and pop should be done away with. But then again, I also think that America's health care system should be overhauled - doesn't mean it's going to happen =P

Answer 3

Why does it matter? For heaven's sake, it's just a beverage.

I call it "pop," by the way (and I live in the suburbs in Minnesota, so I'm NOT in the country). But I really don't care. I'll still understand what you mean, whether you call it "pop" or "soda." The only thing that really strikes me as being strange is when people call it "coke," as I was always under the impression that coke is a brand name.

Anyway, my point is this: PLEASE do not correct me when I call it "pop." That's what I've always called it, and that's what I will continue to call it. To me, it is "pop," and to you, it is "soda." Neither of us is right, and neither of us is wrong.

Answer 4

Depends on where you live. In Western New York it is called "pop," but in New England it is called "soda." Both terms refer to the same thing, despite people's various Pepsi/Coke preferences. The same is true for "submarine/hoagie/grinder" referring to a deli sandwich on a long role. Basically it shouldn't matter, as long as the beverage is nice and cold and the sandwich is fresh and delicious.

Answer 5

The term Pop came about from the popping sound that the bottle cap made when opening a soda. Calling it Soda sounds so gay, upper crust, midwest. We here in the west prefer to refer to it as pop, or in a pinch, soda pop.

Answer 6

I call soda “soda”. The term “pop” probably came from the sound a bottle of soda made when they would open it. It irritates me also when I hear people call soda “pop”.

Answer 7

What's the difference? I'm originally from Ohio and in Ohio we say pop. But here in California they say soda. It just depends on the part of the country you come from. I prefer pop; soda just sounds funny.

Answer 8

Can't say I am annoyed by hearing one term or another. Life's too short to get your panties in a bunch over soda or pop. BUT if you're talking about Coke or Pepsi, that's a whole other story!!! Coke for sure=)

Answer 9

So, I just moved to the south from about three states north, and up there we called it pop. Now down here they call it soda. I can't get used to it. It will always be pop to me.

Answer 10

some people say pop because they r from the north and they've grown up learning to say it like that. others grew up learning to say it as soda. we got to the point of having different names because of the influences in different parts of the country. such as the north and other highly populated cities, they've been influenced by factories and immigrants.