This one is simple – what do you call this stuff?

Being a Minnesota native at a Wisconsin university, this debate comes up (pathetically) frequently in everyday conversation – all the Wisconsonites call it “soda” while my Minnesota peeps and I stick to calling it “pop.” Working in fast food, I also encountered a fair amount of southerners who insisted on calling it all “Coke,” regardless of what they actually wanted.

I’m turning it over to you, So Good readers. Do you call it pop, soda, or coke? Or maybe you’re a plus-60 holdover who still calls it “sodypop” (do those exist?). Or maybe you’re part of some pointlessly rebellious club that secretly calls it “spedoinkle” or “cattywampus.” Then be a good representative for your district (or club!) and explain in the comments.

[poll id=”132″]

On a side note, check out this U.S. map of generic names for soft drinks by county (courtesy of popvssoda.com). It’s a little outdated, but how often do they really do this kind of research?

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Sam

My name is Sam and all I care about is food.

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19 Responses

  2. Brandon

    It’s not like you ignore all brand names when you use “Coke.” It’s a replacement for the word “soda.”

    “Let’s go get some Cokes.”

    Reply
  4. Jennifer

    Personally, I would call the two pictured sodas CRAP. I don’t like the aftertast and Zero just tastes like a flat diet coke.

    Reply
  7. Marie

    Soda holds true on the East Coast too. Being a transplanted Minnesotan living in Delaware, the debate waged on…soda vs pop. Sadly, I was in the minority in their fair land. I had to pick up my belongings, diet Coke in hand and move back to the state that nows my language!

    Reply
  9. El

    Soda, even though I’m a pretty hardcore Chicagoian. Why? I don’t even know, but hearing ‘pop’ grates my ears.

    Reply
  10. Peter

    I grew up in Oregon and we always called it pop. I think that’s pretty common for the Pacific Northwest. Then after living in California for 3 years, where it’s mostly known as soda, I adopted that as my name for it.

    Reply
  11. Eick

    This vote is breaking down about exactly how I thought it would – slight majority for Soda with a bit more support for Pop than Coke.

    Reply
  12. harleytexas

    I called it pop all my life until I moved to Texas, now it’s soda because most people I said pop to either didn’t know what it was or said I was a yankee….not a yankee!!!! lol

    Reply
  13. Marilyn

    Also born and raised in Minnesota, I call it pop. However, no one in the northeast knows what that is…or they laugh at what they consider is an incorrect regional slang word. So I have learned to refer to it as soda.

    Reply
  14. Raiders757

    I live in Virginia, and for the most part, when one says “Coke”, they are referring to Coke, Pepsi, RC, and the likes of. Flavors such as Sprite, Cheerwine, and Root Beer are called “soda”.

    Reply
  15. Alana

    I’m well familiar with that debate. I grew up on the MN/WI border (on the correct “pop” side of the divide). Now I live in Scotland, where everyone calls it “juice” and after 5 years here, it still makes me cringe.

    Reply
  17. Anne Wilkinson

    Also born and raised in Minnesota, I call it pop. However, no one in the northeast knows what that is…or they laugh at what they consider is an incorrect regional slang word. So I have learned to refer to it as soda.

    Reply

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