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I don't know about NC but I have lived in St. Louis where they call it "soda", in Chicago where they call it "pop" and, in South LA where they call it "soda pop". I have also visited the "dirty south" where people do say they are going to the store to get a "drink" or "drank", lol. Once when I was visiting family in Chicago, I asked for a soda at the refreshment stand of a bingo game hall and was told they did not have any baking soda, lol.
Here in Alabama (and in Georgia, when I lived there), a generic term for soft drink is "coke." Years ago, you'd hear "co'cola" and "coke" almost equally, but I rarely hear "co'cola" anymore.
But my grandparents, who lived in Mitchell, Avery, or Yancey counties (NC) all their lives (as did their grandparents, and their grandparents) would call it a "dope." A second choice would be "a drank" - meaning a drink, but pronounced "drank."
When I looked totally confused by "dope," my granddaddy would say "co'cola," but what you'd get would be a Pepsi.
By "drank," there was no question that they did NOT mean an alcoholic drink. That was pronounced "shine," and they made it themselves, not that they'd come right out and tell you until they knew you well enough to offer you some.
Hearing "pop" is, to me, just like nails on a blackboard. Here in North Alabama, anybody who said "pop" was newly arrived from Michigan (auto plants) or Minnesota (3M), and they were quickly schooled on the correct way to ask for a co'cola.
Nails on a chalkboard, indeed.
Generally, I think most of the posters saying and hearing soda are from the metro areas. Most of the rural areas haven't changed or had much outside influence, so they continue to call it drink or coke. I'm a 10th generation North Carolinian. Growing up, I never heard anything outside of coke or drink to describe a soft drink and not much has changed today. I still hear co-cola occasionally, but it's almost always said by the old-timers. Anyway, I'm sure that growing up in a rural area, that still hasn't been overrun with transplants, has a lot to do with it.
Well, we did have one yankee move in several years ago. Seeing as he was new, a couple buddies offered to take him snipe hunting. He was excited about it, too.
Last edited by SonofDixie; 07-25-2012 at 11:41 AM..
I just talked to a dude from Atlanta. He was unaware that people generically called soda "Coke" outside of Georgia. He always thought it was only a Georgia-thing.
I have lived in North Carolina most of my life. When I was young in the mountains, we always said "pop." Then I moved about 20 miles East of where I was born and the favorite term was "coke." And that was no matter what you were drinking. One might even say, "What kind of coke do you want?" The only time I ever heard a native say "soda" was when they had a tummy ache and put baking soda in water to drink for medicine. Drink is a proper term too. To name a specific kind of soft drink is usually what we do now most of the time.
My husband and I drink diet a lot of times and if we don't want diet we will say for instance, "I want a sugary Dr. Pepper." That is just in our family though.
And if you are eating a moon pie, it always goes with an RC Cola. Surely everybody in North Carolina knows that. LOL
Wow, it is interesting how native North Carolinians have such varying accounts of what the predominant term is, largely based on race/ethnicity, age, urban/suburban/rural, and even political orientation. We are indeed a diverse state.
When I lived in Wisconsin (for almost my entire life) I called it "pop" and I've heard it said at restaurants before too
"What kind of pop would you like?"
"A Mountain Dew, please"
I came down to Asheville to visit for someone's wedding and I walked into a place and I asked "Do you serve pop here?".. I was met with a blank stare and had to explain . A year later I moved down here and I've been calling it soda ever since. However, I usually just go with a sweet tea when I'm out to eat (yum!).
I can't remember the town but I was driving thru Alabama and ordered a coke, the waitress asked what kind of coke I wanted, I said "um...regular..not diet". She got kinda pissy and said "Do you want a coke-a-cola, a sprite..whadda ya want?"
I always thought she was a lil weird until years later I learned that some folks use the word coke instead of soda or pop.
I just heard some friends ask for pop at a restaurant and thought of this thread. Funny, how you start noticing stuff you thought people never said all of the sudden.
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. A year later I moved down here and I've been calling it soda ever since. However, I usually just go with a sweet tea when I'm out to eat (yum!).
