Q: A man sits down in a diner and orders a soda. What's getting poured in his glass?
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2. As a bartemder from California, if you order a soda you will get a glass of soda water, usually served with a squeeze of lime. Coke or Pepsi are usually asked for by name. Tonic is a slightly bitter soda water usually served with vodka or gin.
Denise at 10:51AM on Jun 28th 2007
3. Here in Tennessee a Coke is cola...Coke, Pepsi, Sams club or whatever. It's just Coke! As I traveled in the military, I realized that there are, as you said, many names for the original.
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Santiagojimbee at 11:42PM on Jul 7th 2007
4. Here in the deep south you ask for a "Cold Bellywasher"
Robert at 6:23AM on Jul 10th 2007
5. Here in the northeast, 'soda' is a term for the type of drink you want, as opposed to the flavor or brand. It's like saying you want a 'grinder' or a 'hoagie' or a 'sub'...it doesn't determine whether it's a meatball grinder or a turkey grinder or a tuna grinder. So, elsewhere, the term 'pop' might apply, depending on your local dialect. The term 'Coke' is a particular flavor, and a particular brand...it does not apply to all caramel carbonated beverages, nor should it. 'Cola' can have that application, however, since it is not a brand but a flavor. Waitstaff is perfectly justified in clarifying 'Is Pepsi ok?' if that is the brand of cola they serve and you've requested a 'Coke.' Otherwise, they have not given you what you've requested. While some brands' names(Kleenex comes to mind) have become synonymous with the product itself, I do not think that has or should become the case with soda brands, which have distinct flavor differences.
Janice at 6:34AM on Jul 10th 2007
6. I grew up in CA and always called it coke or Soda...most of the time, it was coke though...when I moved to Ohio, I found that they called it pop. It sounded so wierd to me!
Sarah at 6:41AM on Jul 10th 2007
7. Mich,Minn and Fl we all called it pop. When we moved here to Delaware all of a sudden we call it soda. Took some time to get use to it. But you quickly adjusted only because people here will look at you strangely thinking your asking for pot. Now that was really a strange feeling.
8. Soda Pop please.
Flippin at 6:48AM on Jul 10th 2007
9. I live in Illinois and I was brought up to call a soft drink "POP." But when I said "I'll take a pop" in Michigan, the restaurant waitress laughed and said "Around here we call it soda."
Lisa at 6:55AM on Jul 10th 2007
10. In Ohio growing up its always been POP to me,but as I sent my kids off to "college" it turned into soda to them!First time I heard them call it that-my mind went back to when they started kindergarten-They're growing more again.I guess when we stop learning new words and meanings ---we're dead.
Michele Hatcher at 6:58AM on Jul 10th 2007
11. In Ohio growing up its always been POP to me,but as I sent my kids off to "college" it turned into soda to them!First time I heard them call it that-my mind went back to when they started kindergarten-They're growing more again.I guess when we stop learning new words and meanings ---we're dead.
Michele Hatcher at 6:59AM on Jul 10th 2007
12. Around here in Texas we ask "What kind of Coke do you want? Root Beer, Sprite, Coke or what?"
KT at 7:01AM on Jul 10th 2007
13. I am from the Mid West originally and we said "pop". I went to Brooklyn, N. Y. and asked for a vanilla soda (in Michigan that is an Ice Cream Soda) and got seltzer with vanilla syrup. Then I moved to Florida and there they say "soda". It was very hard to switch, but I got use to it. I also find that when someone wants a "cola", they will say, "coke" or I say a "diet soda", which is usually a cola in most places here.
Rhonda at 7:04AM on Jul 10th 2007
14. I am from the Mid West originally and we said "pop". I went to Brooklyn, N. Y. and asked for a vanilla soda (in Michigan that is an Ice Cream Soda) and got seltzer with vanilla syrup. Then I moved to Florida and there they say "soda". It was very hard to switch, but I got use to it. I also find that when someone wants a "cola", they will say, "coke" or I say a "diet soda", which is usually a cola in most places here.
Rhonda at 7:04AM on Jul 10th 2007
15. I remember moving to Tennesse from Wisconsin as a teenager and getting teased by everyone because I said "pop". I thought to myself at least I don't talk with a southern drawl!
Natascha at 7:07AM on Jul 10th 2007
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1. I was raised in Connecticut and as a young child always called cold drinks "sodas". However, one holiday weekend a cousin and her family came to vist us from Boston. My cousin went with me to the corner Deli to get some sodas, and she asked for "tonic". I looked at her amazed, but the Clerk was smiling, and made the comment "I bet you're from Boston", as I stared with my mouth open. Here, in Connecticut, we call it "soda". I always remembered that incident, and it was at that time I realized we don't all speak the same language.
Iris Russell at 8:24PM on Jun 18th 2007