Geographical Drinks of the "Soft" Variety
He placed three slices of pizza onto three paper plates as he made his way around the table. Not a minute later, he slowly poured a small amount of fizzling drink into three red, plastic cups.
All three of them stuck their little noses down into the rim and watched as the light brown foam slowly turned into the liquid treat they don't get very often - that dark brown, "tingly" stuff that tastes oh-so-good with a slice of cheesy, melty, gooey goodness.
The middle one gulped down his cup-o-fizz in record time, and looked up at his Dad with longing eyes and a hopeful smile.
"Max, do you want some more 'pop'?"
Max let out a big sigh. "Dad, it's not called 'pop' in North Carolina. It's called 'soda' here!"
The Mommy at the end of the table spit out her "soda" onto her paper plate.
Her off the cuff remark at Five Guys weeks before had apparently taken hold.
They would indeed raise Southerners.
==============================================
*Note: I found this map at The Pop vs. Soda Page, and thought it was really interesting. Apparently, we're a mixed bag here in North Carolina - a bit of everything, but mostly soda/Coke. Head just south of here, and it's "Coke" land, baby. Michigan - where we came from - nothin' but "pop". Period.
Out of curiosity, what do you call soft drinks?
Here in SW Illinois (not too far from St. Louis), we call it soda, of course - the ONLY name for carbonated beverages! ha!
ReplyDeleteThat's really funny, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteI call it soda, but that's from my years in NC. Not to mention, it justs sounds less "nasal" than pop. Or as my people say, "pahp."
I call it soda, but it is from the 2 years I lived out East. I feel like once you live somewhere they don't call it pop, pop just sounds silly.
ReplyDeleteThat's hysterical!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt will always been soda to us!
Pop of course. I didn't know there was any other name for it. ;)
ReplyDeleteSoda. :0)
ReplyDeleteI grew up calling in coke (in TN), but after a semester at Disneyworld taking orders from people all over the country, I switched to soda! Out here in Colorado, it's mostly soda!
ReplyDeleteSoda, of course! :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story! Those "mommy spitting out her soda" types of comments are the best. :) We had a moment like that last night, and it always makes dinner so much fun!
Great post! I love the map (I just love maps, especially ones that quantify random stuff).
ReplyDeleteI'm from the Philadelphia (N. Delaware/S. Jersey) area and we call it "soda". Pop makes sense, but Coke is a brand name to me.
Oh, and we also say "sneakers", not "tennis shoes".
We're from Lancaster, PA, and "soda" it is for us!
ReplyDeletePop......but I'm Canadian, eh!
ReplyDeleteI'm another from the Lancaster, PA area, and it's soda here. I think it's interesting that the soda/pop division is right in the center of our state. I went to college on the other side of the state, and it was such an adjustment to pick up on the local words!
ReplyDeleteSO funny! I love it! The map is interesting, but what's more interesting is that someone took the time to actually study that and put together a map.
ReplyDeleteIn Alaska, we called it "soda pop", or used "soda" and "pop" completely interchangably.
When my mom did buy soft drinks, which was rare, it was Pepsi, or Sam's Choice brand from Sam's Club. It was a big deal when we visited my grandma in Michigan and got to have Vernor's ginger ale!
What a funny post! I remember my Dad (CO) spelling P-O-P to my Mom (MI) and him being surprised when my 4-year-old self said, "Pop!" I grew up in CA and assumed "pop" was archaic until I married my husband (NE) and moved to IA. I'm a "soda" person, but hear "pop" quite a bit around here!
ReplyDeleteThat is really interesting! You know I call it pop, and it's obviously the right answer. From the look of the map - blue wins!
ReplyDeleteSee that green Chatham County? That's cuz we just call it "drank"!
ReplyDeleteOn "The Andy Griffith Show," they call it "pop."
Soda here in MD... but my boss who is from Missouri calls it "Sodie".
ReplyDeleteHaving spent most of life in MD, I call it soda. My parents who are originally from PA and who now live back in PA call it pop.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought you and Jason called it soda from your Balmore days!
Lived in Texas all my life, but I defy convention and call it soda.
ReplyDeletei think i would generally call it soda, but from working in restaurants, i call it by what it is...coke, pepsi, sprite, blah, blah, blah!
ReplyDeletebut now here in england, we call them fizzy drinks. or if you are my almost 6 year old, he calls them spicy!
Being from Oregon, I generally call it "pop" but my mother, who is from South Dakota but spent part of her childhood in Oregon, consistently refers to it as "Soda Pop." Her sisters also say this, but I've never heard it anywhere else. I actually like "soda pop" but I have been made fun of for calling it that now that I live in the South where anything fizzy is Coke.
ReplyDelete