The Great Pop vs Soda Debate Analyzed by County

[The Burgomaster]

Anyone who comes to Massachusetts from one of those "Coke" states and asks for a Coke is gonna get a Coca Cola . . . not a ginger ale or a root beer or a Pepsi . . . just a damn Coke!

[WildHoosier09]

Indiana is historically "pop", as in "I want a WhistlePop"

[Couchtr26]

Let's not even get into the fact that iced tea is called sweet tea in many parts of the country.  If you don't say "iced," don't you get confused between cold tea and hot tea?  Here in Massachusetts, we say "iced tea" if we want something cold (like Nestea Iced Tea) or just "tea" if we want hot tea.

We could also have the great sub / grinder / hoagie / hero sandwich debate . . .

I have an aunt that came to visit from Georgia.   I was born there and it is usually sweet tea.  However, I'm more familiar with iced.  After having her tea, I now understand sweet tea.  She would sweeten it to the point you felt your teeth would rot out of your head and then still add more syrup.  Same with Russian Tea.  Oh my southern home, why not cut out the middle man and just put sugar in a glass. 

Soda I hear more then anything else.  However, it seems my area is Coke in central OK. 

[Pilgermann]

Let's not even get into the fact that iced tea is called sweet tea in many parts of the country.  If you don't say "iced," don't you get confused between cold tea and hot tea?  Here in Massachusetts, we say "iced tea" if we want something cold (like Nestea Iced Tea) or just "tea" if we want hot tea.

I don't live very far south, but far enough that unless someone specifies hot tea then tea (usually referred to as unsweet) or sweet tea is iced.

As for the pop and soda, I always say soda or soft drink, never pop, although I hear a lot of people call it everything, including Coke.  Pretty sure I've referred to soft drinks as Cokes on occasion.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I interchange "Soda" and "Coke" but I don't identify with with any regional dialect.  Too much childhood moving and one non-american parent.
0Ed

[The Burgomaster]

. . . although, people in Massachusetts due tend to ask for "Coke" when they really mean "cola."  Most of the time when the waiter or waitress asks, "We don't have Coke; is Pepsi okay?"  The person will say, "Yes."  So, it's really a cola beverage they want, not necessarily a Coke.  I also noticed many countries outside the U.S. don't know what "Coke" is.  They use the full "Coca Cola" name, rather than the "Coke" nickname.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

. . . although, people in Massachusetts due tend to ask for "Coke" when they really mean "cola."  Most of the time when the waiter or waitress asks, "We don't have Coke; is Pepsi okay?"  The person will say, "Yes."  So, it's really a cola beverage they want, not necessarily a Coke.  I also noticed many countries outside the U.S. don't know what "Coke" is.  They use the full "Coca Cola" name, rather than the "Coke" nickname.

"I would like a non-diet cola flavored beverage of your choice, held at appoximately 4 degrees celcius in a vessel not less than 16 ounces."

[Kaseykockroach]

I call it what it is. If it's a root beer, I say root beer. If it's a coke, I say coke. If it's carbonated sewage, I say Dr Pepper.

[AndyC]

Most of the time when the waiter or waitress asks, "We don't have Coke; is Pepsi okay?"  The person will say, "Yes."

That is actually a peeve of mine. I just want whatever cola is available. If I say Coke, it's meant in the generic sense, as one would call any tissue a Kleenex. Of course, waitresses always want to clarify when they don't have that brand, which is no big deal in and of itself. Some people are fussy about stuff like that. The problem comes when I try to streamline things by just asking for a cola, and they still want to know if the brand they carry is all right. I've even asked for "whatever cola you have" and waitresses still asked if Pepsi/Coke was all right. Arrrrgghh!

[Couchtr26]

If it's carbonated sewage, I say Dr Pepper.

Awww, come on.  It's not all bad.  Makes an especially interesting quasi candy when left on a grill too long because you want to glaze a pork loin. 

[Killer Bees]

Our generic term for sweet fizzy drinks is soft drink.  But most people call it by the brand name of whatever they want: coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc.  But I don't drink any of it, so I'm a little out of the loop.

When I lived in Canada, I asked for lemonade at a local pizza joint.  Being the green Aussie I was, I assumed they would give me Sprite or something similar (because that's what lemonade is in my country).  Imagine my surprise when the waitress actually brought me lemonade.  The stuff made with actual lemons, sugar and water  lol 

When I complained to the then husband, he said "if you wanted Sprite you should have asked for it."  lol

I never made that mistake again.