Pop Vs. Soda Debate

[SpiritAlight 1]

Very eloquently written Rob.

[thetreble 19]

Very eloquently written Rob.

So spirit, you are agreeing with Rob that we should give in to which ever culture that we are physically in? So, I should just drop saying "pop", even though that comes natural to me, and force myself to say "soda" because that is what every one around me says?

[The_Dude 1,142]

Ahhh all these lovely coloquialisms. We call a "Toquue" a beanie here in los angeles. But for all the arguement, and my waiting for Treble to ask a waitor for a refill on her soda, I am genuinel intrigued by the different terms in each areas of the world for items. I am even more enthralled by peoples rejection and refusal to conform to the cultural norm.

However, we are who we are, and cannot ask, or expect anything more or less from anyone. Each person has grown up using different terms for things, and phrases for situations. If my lovely wife to be asks me for a "cherry pop" (though she hates carbonated drinks), I will indulge her and bring her a Welche's Cherry from the fridge, and not tell her that it is indeed a "Soda". If she walks out side and tells me that it is chilly out and that I should go grab my touque..... I will go grab my beanie

I'm not trying to end this discussion in anyway. I am in fact trying to broaden it to talk about the many differences in terminology that we have, and to point out that they are just terms......

I thought of something quite different after I read that...

Dirty dirty mind

I suppose a poor choice of words on my part

and my waiting for Treble to ask a waitor for a refill on her soda, I am genuinel intrigued by the different terms in each areas of the world for items. I am even more enthralled by peoples rejection and refusal to conform to the cultural norm.

Why would I want to conform to the cultural norm when for over 20 years of my life, this was not my culture? It's like asking someone who is British to not say "bangers and mash" or not eat "beans on toast". That is not rejecting the cultural norm, that is just people's natural reactions to speech pathology and all they know.

For me, while it is the above it is also about the preservation of my culture and my heritage. I moved here and gave up everything, can't I at least keep my upbringing? Not to mention, I love our Canadianisms and they make me feel unique here in a melting pop of "sodas", "bathrooms" and people leaving their shoes on in my house.

I don't consider coloquialisms to be really a part of my culture so much as a product of my upbringing and environment that is unique to me. I was just having a laugh, sorry if I took that a bit too far. But as most phrases and slang are local, I wonder, have you picked up any terms that are unique to where you live now? I tend to pick them up and incorporate them into my vocabulary fairly quickly myself.

P.S. I also apologize for the piss poor spelling in my last post last night. Nothing like being half awake when you post things.

[thetreble 19]

I don't consider coloquialisms to be really a part of my culture so much as a product of my upbringing and environment that is unique to me. I was just having a laugh, sorry if I took that a bit too far. But as most phrases and slang are local, I wonder, have you picked up any terms that are unique to where you live now? I tend to pick them up and incorporate them into my vocabulary fairly quickly myself.

P.S. I also apologize for the piss poor spelling in my last post last night. Nothing like being half awake when you post things.

I guess I do consider colloquialisms a part of culture as language is heavily incorporated into culture. Phrases and slang are different then actual vocabulary. It is impossible for me to pick up anything in NJ up until now because I was living in largely African-American areas where Ebonics was the language of choice.

I don't see how I can transform 22 years worth of slang into something else at this point in my life. Maybe if I was a child then it would be easier. I don't pick up on other people's word choice and decide to use it as my own. I have a degree in English literature and language, so it isn't that I don't notice other people's word choice, as much as I feel it isn't a part of my culture.

If I started saying soda instead of pop, it would sound weird in my own head and would probably roll off my tongue oddly.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Do you think that 10+ years down the line, if you are still living in the United States, and were living in an area that referred to it as soda, you would still stick to pop? I know in my experiences, living in other parts of the country, lets use South Carolina as an example, I lost that battle. The first couple of months, I noticed several things that the people around there said that were odd to me. I vowed not to use them. "Y'all" in particular was a pet peeve of mine. It bugged me to no end, just like "irregardless" does. However, the next year, I was back in California and visiting some friends and I used it a couple of times, and my friends pointed it out to me. I realized I had been using it for months. Oh well, I still use it occasionally, however not nearly as often. You have the absolute right to refer to your chosen beverage, or anything for that matter by your chosen term. I personally find it easier to use the term of the area that I'm in.

BTW, lol @ ebonics.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Rob and Mel

[trailmix 77]

Do you think that 10+ years down the line, if you are still living in the United States, and were living in an area that referred to it as soda, you would still stick to pop? I know in my experiences, living in other parts of the country, lets use South Carolina as an example, I lost that battle. The first couple of months, I noticed several things that the people around there said that were odd to me. I vowed not to use them. "Y'all" in particular was a pet peeve of mine. It bugged me to no end, just like "irregardless" does. However, the next year, I was back in California and visiting some friends and I used it a couple of times, and my friends pointed it out to me. I realized I had been using it for months. Oh well, I still use it occasionally, however not nearly as often. You have the absolute right to refer to your chosen beverage, or anything for that matter by your chosen term. I personally find it easier to use the term of the area that I'm in.

BTW, lol @ ebonics.

Well, for me at least, I know I will never say 'Y'all' without it being in jest

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

WOW a map! LOL

I've known many people in the South who call all pop "coke" How do they know what they are talking about.

"Hi, I want a coke"

"Ok, green can, blue can, red can, brown can"

"uhhhhh Green"

"Ok, it's not cold though"

W T F They could save so much time!!! "Hi, can you get me a 7up?"

Weird.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

what

I had a friend from Port aux Basque Newfoundland that called everything Pepsi, even if she wanted a ginge rale, she'd ask for Pepsi.

See that's totally messed up. Bet she was getting the wrong pop constantly.

Pop will always be pop to me.

[Marilyn. 340]

for me like I said I used to call it pop.... i never noticed when I started calling it soda.... it jsut seems natural to me now..

Edited December 16, 2008 by *Marilyn*

[*julez* 124]

I think its OK to call pop pop in a soda region. I was relieved when I found out my Brit husband refers to pop as pop. Its the same word he uses in England. but if he used some other word, like soda, I wouldn't force him to use pop. I think most areas of the US know what you're talking about if you ask for pop as opposed to soda.

[thetreble 19]

I think most areas of the US know what you're talking about if you ask for pop as opposed to soda.

Actually, I don't think they do. I've never gone to a restaurant where any one had any idea what I was talking about. I don't use the word pop very often though so "can i have a sprite" is obviously a lot easier to understand.

Rob & Mel, I'm not trying to get on your case or anything, I guess my point is, is I hold my language dear to me as it is the language from whence I came. I don't want to start learning new words for things because I think it will be easier in the long run. Not to mention if you come to north jersey, in the urban parts by manhattan, you will have no idea what most people are saying half the time any way.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

and my waiting for Treble to ask a waitor for a refill on her soda, I am genuinel intrigued by the different terms in each areas of the world for items. I am even more enthralled by peoples rejection and refusal to conform to the cultural norm.

Why would I want to conform to the cultural norm when for over 20 years of my life, this was not my culture? It's like asking someone who is British to not say "bangers and mash" or not eat "beans on toast". That is not rejecting the cultural norm, that is just people's natural reactions to speech pathology and all they know.

For me, while it is the above it is also about the preservation of my culture and my heritage. I moved here and gave up everything, can't I at least keep my upbringing? Not to mention, I love our Canadianisms and they make me feel unique here in a melting pop of "sodas", "bathrooms" and people leaving their shoes on in my house.

I understand that because I have come under attack from people from other American dialect belts who do not say "Where is it at?", which is mostly a Chicagoland/Upper Great Lakes thing. In fact, it makes them very annoyed and almost angry to hear it. Until I read a raging, angry, knock down debate about this on another forum I am on, I never knew there was anything wrong with saying that and I'll be damned if I am going to quit. It is seriously not that big of a deal. People need to get over it.

[thetreble 19]

I understand that because I have come under attack from people from other American dialect belts who do not say "Where is it at?", which is mostly a Chicagoland/Upper Great Lakes thing. In fact, it makes them very annoyed and almost angry to hear it. Until I read a raging, angry, knock down debate about this on another forum I am on, I never knew there was anything wrong with saying that and I'll be damned if I am going to quit. It is seriously not that big of a deal. People need to get over it.

Except for "Where's it at?" is grammatically incorrect You can't end a sentence with a preposition. But again, it is a part of your upbringing and no matter where you go, you aren't going to stop doing it to adjust to local laws of language. (makes me think about french language police and their 3:1 french to English ratio on signs...)

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I think the issue was not that it ends in a preposition, rather, it is a redunancy. You do not have to put 'at' at the end to be understood. It has been speculated that it was some Scandinavian language's point of grammar that leaked into English.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Wacken

[xtinab 0]

I always say Soda, because if Im drinking pop, that the only kind I would drink alone.

If that makes any sense at all.