Coke? Pop? Soda? Why Is Wisconsin So Divided On Names For Soft Drinks?

According to a recent study and a map, the state of Wisconsin is divided on how to name soft drinks.

A debate as old as time. I learned the first time I traveled out west that calling soft drinks "pop" is very much a Midwest thing. I went to a chain restaurant in San Diego and asked what kind of pop they had. After repeating myself three times, my group told me it's called "soda" out there. I apologized and let the wait staff know I was from Minnesota. They still didn't understand and that's fine.

I also have relatives from Georgia and when I visited them, they called everything "coke", which I also didn't understand. I just found it so interesting that different areas of the country call one thing, different things.

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Generally speaking, here are the most common names for soft drinks:

Soda

Probably the most common name you can hear in most states.

Pop

Definitely a Midwest thing, and I'm okay with that. I just have to keep this in mind when I travel.

Coke

Even though Coke is very much a popular drink, Southern states use it as more of a generic term for any type of soft drink.

Other names that aren't as popular include: soda pop, soft drink, tonic, and even soda water.

The survey was done by Alan McConchie at the website Pop Vs Soda, asking people what generic term they use for soft drinks. Then a map was put together by Matthew T. Campbell from the Spatial Graphics and Analysis Lab Department of Cartography and Geography at East Central University in Oklahoma.

I feel most of this map is predictable, but what makes me confused is how much Wisconsin is so divided on what to call it. Absolutely blows my mind, after I've been calling it pop my entire life.