Pop/Soda/Coke

[Laurence Horn]

>Natalie Maynor quotes a student as saying "Sodas are known as cokes
>in the South.  Even Pepsi is called a coke in the South."
>
>Does this mean that ginger ale and root beer and Dr. Pepper are
>also called "coke"?  If so, how do they specify that they want or
>are drinking a cola drink?  If Southerners were to be given a Dr.
>Brown's Cel-Ray, what would they call it, other than a vile
>concoction?
>
>GAT

This was discussed on the list earlier, and there seemed to be some
variation, presumably regional (among other parameters), between those
Southerners for whom ALL soft drinks are cokes and those for whom only
colas are.  Presumably there are other intermediate cases, where "coke"
extends to, say, the union of {colas} U {Dr. Pepper}, {colas} U {Dr.
Pepper} U {root beer} (but not Sprite or ginger ale), etc.  It's a bit like
"yankee".

larry