Pepsi Coke? Pop vs Soda?

Question

I live in Michigan, unfortunately, and all my life all I've really only ever really heard soft drinks called "pop". Several years ago I had the chance to visit New York City. One of the people I was with, when asking for some "pop", was met with looks of confusion. I then learned/realized that in NYC, as well as many other Northern states, "pop" is called "soda". Why is this? Why the difference in name by geographic location?

I also learned that "pop" or "soda" is called "coke" in the South. So what if you order a pepsi? Is that called a "pepsi coke"?
Thnx.

Answer 1

Soda here in California

Answer 2

Heyyy, I live in Michigan too (Detroit specifically)...it's not THAT bad, lol. ^_^ I would love to live in New York City, though, cuz I've been there so many times before and it's my favorite state and I LOVE big cities.

I was just searching if New Yorkers said pop or soda because I was watching "Monster-in-Law" and J. Lo said "soda" (since she's from New York I don't know if she was really saying that, or that was just the script, or both). And she also just said buggy, not carriage (but then again I don't know if that was the script or not). I think pop is the coolest out of soda pop, and just soda.

And someone on here said they were from Western New York and called it "pop". And in the South, you say "Can I have a coke, please?" Then they'll be like "Sure, what kind." And you say "Pepsi" or whatever you want to drink. Weird, huh?!

Funny we had the same question.

Answer 3

I grew up in Michigan, too, and was suprised to find out that not only do people in other parts of the country not say "pop," but that term for soda is very exclusive to a very small population. How did it develop that way? Easy. Both terms come from the longer phrase, "soda pop." But languages develop independently, and by some coincidence the people in our region shortened it to pop. It is the same reason that anyone anywhere says anything different.

As far as the "coke" thing in the south, that is actually not entirely true. I have now lived in the south for six years, and very few people say coke instead of soda. "Soda" is, by far, the most commonly used term in the country, including the south.

Answer 4

1. Coke 2. Dr. Pepper 3. Mountain Dew 4. Mug Root Beer 5. Neither 6. Aquafina 7. Cherry Coke 8. Neither 9. Diet Pepsi 10. Rockstar 11. Vitamin Water 12. Gatorade 13. Vanilla Coke 14. Coke Black 15. Aquafina Flavor

Answer 5

I live in Missouri and most people around here call it soda. But I always say I want a "coke" because that is the only soda I drink. I haven't heard but 1 person I know call soda a "pop" and they are from Mississippi. It does'nt matter what you call it. Everyone has there own way of saying things.

Answer 6

Pop and soda means the same thing from what I was told the orignial name for a soft drink was soda pop people eveanlty drop the pop from the name then the copration name Faygo introduce its line of soft drinks that they name Faygo pop mainly in the midwest people drop the Faygo and just called it pop as for the south that's where coke origrianated from and that's why people say "coke" down there and nope even if you want a pepsi you still say "coke"

Answer 7

I have lived in a few states.
Florida: soda (my preference as well)
south Carolina: soda
west Virginia: pop
Texas: coke (any yes coke means spirte 7-up coke or any other soda) go figure.

just like Jojo's what i call them i have heard called potato wedges and a few times called fries.

fries can also be called chips just a regional thing

Answer 8

There is no real reason for it. Traditions in the different regions of the country led to the same thing being called different things throughout the country. Also, your second question is true no matter what you order especially in the southeast everything is a Coke even sprite lol good luck!

Answer 9

it is geographical....here in the south (florida) we call it soda before pop but will refer to it by its actual name before that....coke is coke, pepsi is pepsi and so on....if there is a mixture in a cooler and you dont care what you get then generally you ask for a soda....if asked what flavor the answer is whatever you bring me...there is a huge preference here though between coke and pepsi

Answer 10

I love this question! Ok, so I have moved around a good deal since I started talking about "pop". In Pampa, TX, which is up around Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle my friends always said pop, and so did I. Then, we moved down to Beaumont, TX, which is in the south next to Louisianna and near Houston, and still everyone said pop. Then we moved up to Cherokee, OK, which is in Northwest Oklahoma, and still everyone says pop there. Then, I most recently moved to St. Louis, MO and here everyone says soda, which sounds strange to me. So, apparently most of the state of Texas and also of Oklahoma says pop. You aren't alone!