Is it soda or pop?

[Kobold Stew]

In Vancouver, we only drink pop.

 

[trappedslider]

me sipping mountain dew juice that keeps me from committing murder

 

[Morrus]

Neither of the presented options.

 

[Corinnguard]

I don't think I have used either word to describe what I take for my caffeine fix.

 

[MarkB]

Growing up in England in the 80s, "soda" pretty much only referred to the soda water used as a mixer for drinks (i.e. whiskey and soda). "Pop" was occasionally used, but in most cases they were just soft drinks or fizzy drinks.

 

[Waylander]

Kind of similar to MarkB. I’m from the north of England and it was always pop when I was young as soda (water) was/is something else entirely. My children (both now grown up) have no idea what pop is and so contemporary England (at least in the south) it’s fizzy drinks.

 

[Aeson]

I believe the thought that people in the southern US call it Coke is because it's the most common soda offered. My experience is that people use the product's name Coke, Pepsi, Sprite. People are so used to using Coke, because of how common it is, they will ask for it out of habit at restaurants that don't offer it.

 

[trappedslider]

I believe the thought that people in the southern US call it Coke is because it's the most common soda offered. My experience is that people use the product's name Coke, Pepsi, Sprite. People are so used to using Coke, because of how common it is, they will ask for it out of habit at restaurants that don't offer it.

In texas the default is "Dr.Pepper"

 

[Aeson]

In texas the default is "Dr.Pepper"

The farther you get from Atlanta the less common Coke becomes. Since Dr. Pepper was invented in Texas I would expect to see something similar. Dr. Pepper's popularity wanes as you move away. Here in Georgia it's an alternative. Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have Pepsi not Coke. Most every other fast food restaurant has Coke, but you can get Dr. Pepper at all of them.

 

[MarkB]

A few noteworthy UK/US differences - in the UK lemonade pretty much exclusively means what in the US might be called lemon soda - a clear fizzy drink with sweet lemon flavour. The still lemonade common in the US we'd probably classify as lemon cordial. We similarly have orangeade, but grape soda was never really a thing here.

Lemon-lime soft drinks are also popular, but don't have a generic identity, usually referred to by the most popular brand names Sprite or 7-Up.