Soda, Pop, or Coke?

It seems no matter where I live, I am ridiculed for my choice of words when ordering any type of carbonated soft drink. Having grown up in central Illinois, I called it “pop” when I moved to Tennessee. Everyone laughed and repeated (in a very Fran Drescher nasal tone), “PAAAAP? You’re such a Yankee.” To which I should have replied, “We won the war. We can call it whatever we want.”

However, like Hilary Clinton, I felt so insecure in the South I adapted my vernacular to fit my context. I then and now call every carbonated beverage “coke.” I was mocked for this today (since I’m now back in Central Illinois).

I found this map helpful in illustrating my problem (Blue=”pop”, Red=”coke”, Yellow=”soda”):

Enter your comment here