Pop, Soda, or Coke?

People that tend to share specific language traits may share other cultural traits. In this way, terms used for carbonated beverages can be loose indicators of more general cultural patterns. This map is built in D3 from survey data collected at PopVsSoda.com through December 2012. Hover over the map and legend for more details.

Pop

‘Pop’ is used primarily in the Midwest and Northwestern US. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term originates from the ‘pop’ of the cork when removed from a carbonated beverage bottle.

Soda

‘Soda‘, edging out ‘Pop’ as the country’s overall most popular term for the drink category, is the dominant term in the Northeastern US, California, Eastern Wisconsin, and an isolated area around St. Louis. It holds a slim majority in parts of Florida around Orlando and Miami.

Coke

Coca-Cola was originally manufactured in Atlanta, Georgia, which may explain its dominance as generic soft-drink term across the South.

Other

Less common names for carbonated beverages include ‘soft drink’, ‘tonic’, and ‘soda pop’

No Majority

In some cases there is no clear majority term. These ‘battleground’ counties typically lie on the borders between regions. North Carolina, situated between the largest soda and coke regions, has no clear winner across the state.

Insufficient Data

Counties with fewer than 5 survey respondents were not colored.