Opinion of People Who Say “Coke” Instead of “Pop” or “Soda”

[Del Tachi]

Mixed, lean FF.  I've lived in Mississippi most of my life and hear White Southerners say "Coke" only when asked this question.  Most people just say "soda" in everyday, conversational use.  These terms (soda, pop, coke) have become identified as regionalisms to such an extent that people just say whatever they're suppose to say to appear "Southern" or whatever.

Personally, when referring to sweetened carbonated beverages as a category I tend to use the term "soft drink".  I don't understand how a Mountain Dew or 7-Up could ever be called a "coke".

[John Dule]

Is it really that hard to just say the correct name of the thing you're drinking?

[JGibson]

Soda's most prevalent in the St. Louis area.

Lean HP.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Here's a map from 2003. What really stings in my eye is that the St. Louis Metropolitan area uses the same term as the Northeast and the Southwest. Does anyone have an explanation for that phenomena?

Crap, I read this one time ... I honestly want to say it has something to do with the beer industry??  My native Peoria is also a soda enclave in Illinois, surrounded by “pop” sayers, so that’s what I grew up saying.

As for the OP, I find it weird, but regional dialects should be celebrated and protected to keep shlt interesting.

My guess would be that it more likely has to do with German immigrants somehow than the beer industry.

[politicallefty]

People who say "pop" should be gulaged

People who say "coke" when referring to any brand of soda should be shot out of a cannon into the sun

This post was sponsored by Soda Gang

This is the correct answer.

Tbh, before I saw the map years ago, I always thought "pop" was hillbilly. That may still be true, but it's still far more widespread than I would ever have imagined.

[Kingpoleon]

Mixed, lean FF.  I've lived in Mississippi most of my life and hear White Southerners say "Coke" only when asked this question.  Most people just say "soda" in everyday, conversational use.  These terms (soda, pop, coke) have become identified as regionalisms to such an extent that people just say whatever they're suppose to say to appear "Southern" or whatever.

Personally, when referring to sweetened carbonated beverages as a category I tend to use the term "soft drink".  I don't understand how a Mountain Dew or 7-Up could ever be called a "coke".

This is the only correct answer.

[SWE]

Somehow even worse than saying soda

[HillGoose]

literally me