6 ms·

I think you're onto something. If you check the "other" responses for NC on popvssoda.com, you'll see "drink" and "soft drink" are way more popular in the NC. M

I think you're onto something. If you check the "other" responses for NC on popvssoda.com, you'll see "drink" and "soft drink" are way more popular in the NC. Maybe even popular enough to warrant a separate category. I think "soda" is more of a fallback choice for NC folks, because the term "soda fountain" is more common than the term "pop". Calling a non-coke beverage a "Coke" just seems silly though. I'm from CLT, but when I think of what I would expect to see on a menu if I'm looking for a coke, it's "soft drinks". Likewise, if someone comes over to my place, I might ask, "Can I get you a drink? I've got Sweet Tea and Cokes in the fridge." Though more commonly I would say "something to drink". I've heard that in other parts of the country though, "drink" only implies alchoholic beverages, which was very different from my experience. Now that I think about, maybe the reason we prefer "soft drink" is because sodas are usually grouped with sweet tea. And sweet tea really is the ultimate sweet, cold, drink of choice in NC. Though Coke or Sprite will do if a restaurant doesn't have any brewed and ready.

kodablah 9y ago
> Calling a non-coke beverage a "Coke" just seems silly though. It's not. Would you force my nose to continue to run because you don't have the Kleenex brand? Or must I continue to bleed because you don't have a Band-Aid brand bandage?
- kbutler 9y ago
  But coke is a flavor. Will you get me a coke? Sure, what kind? Sprite...
  - kodablah 9y ago
    So is Chapstick and others. You use context clues. If someone asks for a coke, they get a Coca-Cola (or are queried for an alternative if not available). But if one drank a Sprite in the morning and was asked what they drank, they might say coke.
    - kbutler 9y ago
      Chapstick is not a flavor.
      - jacobush 9y ago
        Now this is approaching slapstick.
  - ZeroGravitas 9y ago
    In Scotland a similar thing happened with Ginger Beer, and for a while (it's probably mostly died out now) all fizzy drinks could be referred to as "ginger" regardless of flavouring.
- sudosteph 9y ago
  What? Why would I ever want you to bleed or have a runny nose? Just because I'm amused by a particular language difference doesn't mean I wouldn't give you whichever beverage you prefer if I knew what that was. The reason it's silly though is because a Coke is materially different from a Pepsi or Sprite or Dr. Pepper. If someone said they were going to bring me a Coke and I got a Pepsi, I would be confused and maybe a little disappointed. I can't tell the difference between kleenex and off-brand, but I definitely can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. It's not a huge deal, but it would be a misunderstanding that seems avoidable with more specific language, so it's amusing to me. It's cool if that's not how it's interpreted in your parts. I'm not knocking you for using whichever terms you want. I'm just explaining why I'm not going to adopt that terminology. I prefer to call shopping carts "buggys", but I get why others would be confused or think that's a silly term if I said that around them. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop using it or feel bad about it, but I understand if it's not really understood outside my region and seems like a silly word.

kodablah 9y ago

> Calling a non-coke beverage a "Coke" just seems silly though. It's not. Would you force my nose to continue to run because you don't have the Kleenex brand? Or must I continue to bleed because you don't have a Band-Aid brand bandage?

kbutler 9y ago
But coke is a flavor. Will you get me a coke? Sure, what kind? Sprite...
- kodablah 9y ago
  So is Chapstick and others. You use context clues. If someone asks for a coke, they get a Coca-Cola (or are queried for an alternative if not available). But if one drank a Sprite in the morning and was asked what they drank, they might say coke.
  - kbutler 9y ago
    Chapstick is not a flavor.
    - jacobush 9y ago
      Now this is approaching slapstick.
- ZeroGravitas 9y ago
  In Scotland a similar thing happened with Ginger Beer, and for a while (it's probably mostly died out now) all fizzy drinks could be referred to as "ginger" regardless of flavouring.
sudosteph 9y ago
What? Why would I ever want you to bleed or have a runny nose? Just because I'm amused by a particular language difference doesn't mean I wouldn't give you whichever beverage you prefer if I knew what that was. The reason it's silly though is because a Coke is materially different from a Pepsi or Sprite or Dr. Pepper. If someone said they were going to bring me a Coke and I got a Pepsi, I would be confused and maybe a little disappointed. I can't tell the difference between kleenex and off-brand, but I definitely can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. It's not a huge deal, but it would be a misunderstanding that seems avoidable with more specific language, so it's amusing to me. It's cool if that's not how it's interpreted in your parts. I'm not knocking you for using whichever terms you want. I'm just explaining why I'm not going to adopt that terminology. I prefer to call shopping carts "buggys", but I get why others would be confused or think that's a silly term if I said that around them. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop using it or feel bad about it, but I understand if it's not really understood outside my region and seems like a silly word.