Why do Texans refer to all soda as "Coke"? (Houston: military, relocating to)

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

I'm a native Texan too and as I said I lived in many different places in the state. Now what? You don't actually think that all this time I've been running into non-Texans, that would be statistically impossible. Regardless whether I'm in a big city or a rural town I have NEVER EVER heard anyone saying Coke for all the sodas.

Well, this is quite simple. We don't believe you.

[taydev]

Originally Posted by ETex2

You may be a "Texan", but I doubt you are a "native Texan". I don't know anyone who was raised here over the age of 30 who calls them "sodas". Maybe soft drinks, but usually "Cokes". Never "pop", and hardly ever "soda". "Soda water" is more common for us old-timers.

No, I'm not a native, but I'm 26 and I've lived here since I was 5, so I guess I'm more Texan than anything else. Many native Texans do call them sodas.

[taydev]

Originally Posted by spursfan

I think it's more of a younger Texan thing to call them sodas (at least in San Antonio). Blame it on TV or whatever but that's what I (native Texan) grew up saying.

I was thinking the same. Perhaps its a generational thing?

[johnrex62]

Hi Everyone, sorry bout being so late but I am here to set things straight.


Native Texan, born and raised in San Antonio. Over the age of 30, 40 and edging up near 50 but not there, yet.


I grew up using the terms Soda, Soda Water, and Coke for any type of flavored carbonated beverage. It was just a mood "thang" and was understood everywhere I went. At a restaurant or concession stand they always asked "which kind?" and we went from there. I had been told by my dad that up north they used a strange term, "pop", to refer to cokes and we had a good laugh at how silly they were.

I never heard the term "Frosted Coke", but I sure drank a lot of them. We called them "Black Cows", "Brown Cows" were made with root beer and "Red Bulls" were made with Big Red.

I grew up with R/C's and Dr. Peppers, Cokes, and Pepsi, but they were all cokes or sodas or soda waters to me. Even as a child I was aware that Coke was a brand name, but figured coke was a generic term like kleenex, scotch tape, xerox and popsicle.

[johnrex62]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

I asked for iced tea at a restaurant in Ohio and they gave me hot tea and a cup of ice!

I had the same experience in 1984 in Toronto. I asked for an Iced Tea at the Spaghetti Works restaurant and they did not know how to make it. I had to tell them that hot tea and ice would do nicely. When I went back in 2003 they had it on the menu.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by taydev

No, I'm not a native, but I'm 26 and I've lived here since I was 5, so I guess I'm more Texan than anything else. Many native Texans do call them sodas.

same here. not a native but raised in Texas from age 2 to 22 and I never heard anyone refer to everything as coke myself. That includes natives. Then again, I did live in Killeen where most of the people there are not from Texas.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

Hi Everyone, sorry bout being so late but I am here to set things straight.


Native Texan, born and raised in San Antonio. Over the age of 30, 40 and edging up near 50 but not there, yet.


I grew up using the terms Soda, Soda Water, and Coke for any type of flavored carbonated beverage.

Soda water? That is one term I've never heard anywhere, especially in Texas (55+ lifetime native Texan).

[love roses]

I've only heard all carbonated beverages referred to as "coke", until High School, when my best friend from Nebraska called them "pop".

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by ETex2

Well, this is quite simple. We don't believe you.

What possible reason would I have for lying?

[openedskittles]

I grew up in Texas and I say soda as do most of the people I know. However, I do know some people who call everything Coke.