Soda vs. Pop

[slorydn1]

I'm from Maryland, if the Maryland flag to the left of this post didn't make it obvious enough, and it's pretty much universally "soda". I have been through "pop country", however. And apparently calling every soda Coke is a Texas thing?

It certainly is a thing....  I've lived so many places that I generally just found it either to call a particular carbonated beverage by the actual name; Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, ect.  The Mid-West was really big on "pop" while the east coast was big on "Soda."  Around places like Texas, New Mexico, and some of the surrounding states it would be "Coke."  Granted some of the regional slangs have started to fall apart in the last couple decades across some regions as people are migrating towards the Sun Belt.

Sorta like how my dad will call all pastas Spaghetti.

"What are you having for dinner?"
"Spaghetti"
I stop by, and see raviolis on the plate. 

My mom always called traffic lights "stop lights," regardless of whether you actually had to stop. If she were giving directions to their house, she might tell someone to exit the Beltway and "go through six stop lights, then make the next right turn."

Another thing I hear a lot, along those lines, is calling every utility pole a "telephone pole", regardless of what function the pole is there for, or if there is even any telephone company infrastructure on it all.

Thats funny, because we call all of those either "light poles" or "power poles" (both denoting the assumption that all of the lines strung across them are power lines). So, when the power company turns off your power because you haven't paid the bill they came and "cut your lights off".

[ColossalBlocks]

Damn, I didn't think a thread like this would gain this much traction.

[jp the roadgeek]

[Roadgeekteen]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

[hbelkins]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

[sparker]

Somehow, that stat map shown looks a bit spurious.  The drastic differences across state lines shouldn't happen in any sort of scenario, particularly with adjoining counties.  Anecdotally, I resided in Portland in the '90's -- and don't recall any particular penchant for calling the stuff "pop"; the term "soda" seemed to be used as often as anything.  If the map is a depiction of a particular study, the n per county should be part and parcel of the survey techniques.  If the sample in one county is significantly larger than that of a similarly sited county, that needs to be factored into the data.

I've done regression analyses professionally for 30+ years, and I've never seen a geographic distribution like what is shown here -- the methodology was obviously low-n disaggregated anecdotal notations.  But it's carbonated-beverage off-the-cuff references, so why consider it significant in any way!?!?  (Having said that, I've actually seen dissertations on subjects even more banal than this one!)  

[slorydn1]

Banility causes anality! Or do I have that backwards? Oh never mind.....

[cjk374]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

[empirestate]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Generically, anyway. Pepsi would be a type of coke, as would Coke, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper, root beer, etc....

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Since I don't speak the same language it's hard to tell. But here in Spain people call that soft drink "Coca-Cola" generically, even if it's Pepsi. So my choice is clear: Coke, like in the deep South and Texas.

[Roadgeekteen]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

Pepsi and coke taste the same.

[intelati49]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

Pepsi and coke taste the same.

I can tell the difference, but I can't qualify the difference. There's just something "off" about Pepsi.

[hbelkins]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

Pepsi and coke taste the same.

Not really. And Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi definitely taste different. Diet Pepsi is nasty and I will only drink it under protest or if there are no other diet soft drinks available.

[DaBigE]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

Pepsi and coke taste the same.

I can tell the difference, but I can't qualify the difference. There's just something "off" about Pepsi.

I can also tell a difference. To me, Coke seems to have a thicker syrup-y taste, whereas Pepsi is smoother and more watered-down (blander, IMO).

[Brandon]

Somehow, that stat map shown looks a bit spurious.  The drastic differences across state lines shouldn't happen in any sort of scenario, particularly with adjoining counties.

Oh, but it does.  One can really tell the difference between Michigan's UP (pop territory) and the adjoining eastern half of Wisconsin (soda territory) to the south.  Pop is very decidedly a Michigander thing.  You go to the party store to return your pop cans and bottles and maybe pick up some more Vernors or Red Pop.  Happens in Michigan, and Cheeseheads don't do it, therefore, don't get it.

[sparker]

Do people down south seriously call pepsi coke?

From what I hear, yes.

Around where we call Pepsi "nasty shit".

Pepsi and coke taste the same.

I can tell the difference, but I can't qualify the difference. There's just something "off" about Pepsi.

I can also tell a difference. To me, Coke seems to have a thicker syrup-y taste, whereas Pepsi is smoother and more watered-down (blander, IMO).

It's the "secondary" flavors, other than the basic cola-nut extract, that determine the exact taste of the cola drink.  For instance, as per the corporate name, the secondary flavoring ingredient of Coca-Cola was coca leaf extract -- currently what's left over after medical cocaine hydrochloride is separated out from the leaf substance, but before the late '30's actually contained more than a trace amount of actual cocaine.  The secondary ingredient in Pepsi-Cola also forms the reference to the name: the "honey" from the pepsin wasp (yeah, wasps, being kissing cousins to bees, produce a form of honey themselves), which is bittersweet in nature, is the secondary ingredient; it's the trace bitterness that's somewhat off-putting to some consumers.  From what I understand, the old 3rd standby, RC Cola, used vanillin (synthesized vanilla) as their secondary flavoring.  There's enough of a difference between the flavor profiles to cover the tastes of the overall market -- which is why the brands persist.

[Duke87]

Thats funny, because we call all of those either "light poles" or "power poles" (both denoting the assumption that all of the lines strung across them are power lines). So, when the power company turns off your power because you haven't paid the bill they came and "cut your lights off".

I grew up calling them "telephone poles" although my career of choice as an adult has gotten me in the habit of using the more correct technical term, "utility poles".

[inkyatari]

  You go to the party store to return your pop cans and bottles and maybe pick up some more Vernors or Red Pop. 

Mmmm  Vernors.  Haven't had that awesome stuff in forever.

[jp the roadgeek]

  You go to the party store to return your pop cans and bottles and maybe pick up some more Vernors or Red Pop. 

Mmmm  Vernors.  Haven't had that awesome stuff in forever.

I have never heard the term "Party Store".  To me, a Party Store is a store like Party City where you can buy hats, costumes, candles, and decorations.  Then again, most people haven't heard a term for a place where you buy beer and liquor as a "Package Store"

[Rothman]

Has anyone mentioned Nehi grape soda?  Lived on that stuff when I spent summers with my grandparents in KY.

[Brandon]

  You go to the party store to return your pop cans and bottles and maybe pick up some more Vernors or Red Pop. 

Mmmm  Vernors.  Haven't had that awesome stuff in forever.

I have never heard the term "Party Store".  To me, a Party Store is a store like Party City where you can buy hats, costumes, candles, and decorations.  Then again, most people haven't heard a term for a place where you buy beer and liquor as a "Package Store"

http://www.michigannative.com/ma_wordsphrases.shtml

"Parrty Storre": US equivalent: liquor store. There's one on every other block. We like it that way, cuz ya never know when the urge fer a Moosehead'll hitcha. Or, ya know... could be Stroh's.

[hbelkins]

Has anyone mentioned Nehi grape soda?  Lived on that stuff when I spent summers with my grandparents in KY.

Hard to find these days. Ale-8 is marketing something called NuGrape which is very similar.

Nehi orange was also very popular. I think Nehi was bottled and/or distributed by Royal Crown Cola, which was very popular in eastern Kentucky. I'm not sure where RC was bottled, but there were distributorships in Jackson and Whitesburg.

[Big John]

Has anyone mentioned Nehi grape soda?  Lived on that stuff when I spent summers with my grandparents in KY.

Radar O"Reilly?

[SSOWorld]

[jwolfer]

Somehow, that stat map shown looks a bit spurious.  The drastic differences across state lines shouldn't happen in any sort of scenario, particularly with adjoining counties.

Oh, but it does.  One can really tell the difference between Michigan's UP (pop territory) and the adjoining eastern half of Wisconsin (soda territory) to the south.  Pop is very decidedly a Michigander thing.  You go to the party store to return your pop cans and bottles and maybe pick up some more Vernors or Red Pop.  Happens in Michigan, and Cheeseheads don't do it, therefore, don't get it.

I find it interesting that the midwest and great lakes all use "pop" but around Milwaukee its soda

LGMS428