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Pop is only for music & champers & grampers (made the last word up)

Posted by Barney on February 04, 2004

In Reply to: Pop is only for music & champers & grampers (made the last word up) posted by Lotg on February 04, 2004

: : : : : : : : In the US, it is called soda. In Canada, it is called pop. What is soft drink called in England and Australia?

: : : : : : : Here in Kentucky it is mostly called soda or soft drink. One of my college kids reports that in Columbus, Ohio, it is called "pop."

: : : : : : Some say that it's even called "tonic" in parts on New England. I went to college in western Massachusetts myself, but everyone called it soda, as far as I knew.

: : : : : ::It was 'soda' in lower New York State, and 'pop' in most of the midwest. In California, it's called both, but that's because no one is really from here and they bring the word that was used where they grew up. (Apologies to native Californians)

: : : In England, a fizzy soft drink is generally called pop. A popular one is Tizer and, in Scotland, IrnBru. In France it's called limonade. Lemonade would then be limonade citron.

: : Well, I still don't know what they call it in England and Australian. Bringing it back to my part of the U.S., most people (heading to the vending machine) say, "I'm getting a drink. Do you want a drink?" Unless of course they are heading to the downtown bar. Then a "drink" means a real drink.

: OK, this one's easy. In Australia, soft drink is called... wait for it... soft drink!! Haha.

: Yep, it's that simple.

: The only trouble I got into in America re this topic is when I asked for lemonade on the plane from Seattle to Chicago. The hostie (oops, flight attendant), got all embarrassed and said, I'm sorry maaaaaam, we don't have fresh lemons on board. It took me her few moments to realise that I was Australian, then said, oh you mean 7Up don't you? Well, actually I didn't, but 7Up was as close as I was going to get.

: But the generic term is definitely - 'soft drink'. We don't use the word 'pop' in that regard at all. And soda to us means the specific drink, Soda Water. Tonic is the same, we have only a specific drink called Tonic water (as in the stuff you mix with gin). It's not a generic term.

: Here if someone offers you a drink, it's probably more dependant on the weather. If it's early and it's hot, or if you're offering something to a child, when you offer a 'drink', it could mean water, cordial, tea, coffee, soft drink. Although if you were offering tea or coffee, you'd probably be that specific.

: Later in the day however, if you're talking to adults, you'd probably have to specify soft drink or water or whatever, cos if you say, "would you like a drink", it would tend to mean alcohol.

: So, generically speaking, we tend to say eg:

: Would you like a cool drink (that could mean anything from water to soft drink)

: Would you like a soft drink (self explanatory)

: Would you like a tea or coffee (as above)

: Would you like a drink (to an adult, is more likely to infer alcohol).

: Here endeth my lesson in Aussie liquid etiquette... (chuckle)

If you stick with the whisky - maybe adding a small amount of water in the summer - you'll have no need to fuss yourself naming inferior beverages.

: : As far as I know it's called pop in England and Australia. However, I'm sure as in the US there are different names for it as it is here. I do know from traveling a lot and living on both coast that there are several names. New Englander's call it soda or tonic. A lot of people in the mid-west call it coke. Down south the call it pop and on the west coast, they call it just about every name there is. Only my observations from experience.

: Have to disagree. Pop is not used in relation to soft drink in Australia. In the 60's & 70's it was used to describe contemporary music, it is used to describe the sound when you eject the cork from a champagne bottle (well it is if you do it badly like me), and it's used by some people to describe their grandfather, but it's never used to describe any form of drink, soft or otherwise.

Just for completeness

  • Pop Warthog 05/February/04
    • Pop SR 06/February/04

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