The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy

[Charles Doyle]

I too was wondering about the eastern Texas "soda water"--presumably infrequent enough to hide among "other." But I would have thought the mid-South/SouthMidland "soda pop" would have its own entry. And possibly Southeastern "cold drink."

--Charlie
____________________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 13 May 2007 00:31:38 -0400
>From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy
>
>If I interpret the maps correctly, "coke" and "other" are used in my birth county of Harrison County, Texas. I assume that the "other" is the "soda water" of my childhood. After we moved to Saint Louis, seeing on supermarket shelves a clear, sparkling liquid in bottles labeled "soda water" was mind-boggling. It was like discovering that there was a part of the country wherein "animals" referred only to dogs or "birds" referred only to pigeons. It just didn't make no sense. "Unflavored" or "flavor-free" or even "clear" soda water I would have understood.
>
>And then there was the time that I asked for "cold soda" in "pop" country and was led to the Arm & Hammer display by a confused-looking clerk who explained that soda was kept on the open shelves at room temperature.
>
>-Wilson
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org