Long story short, it’s pop you guys! No wait! Soda, or what about Coke for everything? What kind of Coke? Depending on where you live in the United States, a soft drink maybe called by different names. When I was in the military, this caused much debate, serious conversations had for hours, often repeated after many drinks of liquor. The clash of various factions, East, West, South and North had numerous opinions on just why and what it should be called. Forever the debate wages on.

Where did POP Come From?

The word POP originated from the sound of the removal of the cork from a bottle; Pop! The split of the language seems to fizzle from the south and southeast and bubble into the Midwest. Much of the North and Midwest, are “Pop”. Or Popping: as the kids would say,

Soda, Soda Pop and the South

Largely, if you order a fizzy drink, the term soda is used more often. The word itself came from the creation of the first “soda fountains” in Connecticut, therefore most of the east coast uses the word soda. With the great debate still among us, are you confused? So, it’s just a Coke.

Coke not Just Coca-Cola

When Coke was invented in January of 1892 in Atlanta Georgia, the word coke was applied to all carbonated beverages. So in the South and some parts of the Southeast, if you order a soft drink say “Coke” and you’ll be asked what kind.

What do you Call it?

Let me know what you call pop. Or soda pop, or coke or something. Let the debate begin!

Soda or Pop

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