Soda vs. pop

[redsmetz]

Most distributors offer a Coke or Pepsi line, the third line in PDX is the AMC of soft drink packages, Diet Rite, RC Cola, A&W, an orange drink that escapes me and Ginger Ale

Orange Crush?

[Ohayou]

[919191]

I am from about 80 minutes northwest of Cincinnati, north of Greensburg. I mostly heard Coke growing up, as in if asked what kind of Coke I wanted, I asked for Mountain Dew or Dr Pepper. Pop was used alot to though.

[marcshoe]

First people I ever heard use coke for everything were Texans, who seemed a lot like space aliens to us WVians.

I'll bet those people who mostly use other (according to the map) are really confusing. I'll have a hamburger, fries, and an other, please?

[Chip R]

I think it's hilarious that Iowa is all pop except for one county that says soda. From just eyeballing it it looks like it could be Johnson County - where the University of Iowa is. Or, as one person called it, "The People's Republic of Johnson County." From what I can figure, the University of Iowa gets a lot more people from out of state than the other universities.

[reds1869]

I live in Cincinnati and say "pop" exclusively. I've experienced the same in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Wisconsin. My sister lives in Boston and has converted to "soda."

[WildcatFan]

I'm in Lexington, and it's all Coke to me. Most servers around here don't even correct you if they only serve Pepsi products. The beauty of it is, if they serve both, you're always going to get Coca-Cola, which is the right one anyway.

[medford]

I've heard (or perhaps read at some point, can't recall) that Dayton is a big test market for Pepsi as its one of the few areas in the mid west that had a preference towards Pepsi products. It was why Dayton was choosen as one of the test markets for Pepsi clear. Don't know how true that is/was at the time, but its always stuck with me.

Personally, I prefer Pepsi over Coke, but Diet Coke (which I lean towards choosing amongst all sodas anyways) over Diet Pepsi.

[Spazzrico]

I use this map in my introductory geography classes. It's very accurate based on their responses.

[SunDeck]

I use this map in my introductory geography classes. It's very accurate based on their responses.

So, from the geographer's perspective, what does this tell us? I've always wondered.

[TeamCasey]

Upstate New York and it's soda!

[Spazzrico]

So, from the geographer's perspective, what does this tell us? I've always wondered.

I don't use it to analyze too much really, but just to get my students to think through linguistic (dialect) differences. Although I do have them think why North Carolina is such a jumble (presence of other dominant drinks like Pepsi) and Coke is such a force in the South due to Coke's presence in Atlanta.....I don't know too much about the history of the terms per se, but I can say it helps when I have them think about historical migration patterns (See how southern Florida is the same as North East). I find the line running through Appalachia is interesting, but I can't explain it much other than that the region as a physical barrier had some sort of impact as a cultural one. Also it is fun to use when I ask them how they define where the South is located....many use "Coke" and sweet tea as a means of defining their own vernacular geography.

[SunDeck]

While you're at it, please figure out why they "mash" buttons and "cut on" the lights in North Carolina. .

[redsmetz]

I've heard (or perhaps read at some point, can't recall) that Dayton is a big test market for Pepsi as its one of the few areas in the mid west that had a preference towards Pepsi products. It was why Dayton was choosen as one of the test markets for Pepsi clear. Don't know how true that is/was at the time, but its always stuck with me.

Personally, I prefer Pepsi over Coke, but Diet Coke (which I lean towards choosing amongst all sodas anyways) over Diet Pepsi.

Dayton was often used as the test market for products being viewed by manufacturers as the most average city in the country. I don't know if this is still the case, but it was back in the 60's and 70's, as I recall.

[wolfboy]

It's always been soda to me. I was raised in Cincinnati, but my mother grew up outside of Boston.