I say "pop", you say "soda"...

SW VandeCarr

I wonder what the Pepsi folks (or the Coke folks for that matter) think about the generic "coke" in the southern states. Do they actually call a bottle or glass of Pepsi a "coke"? I know Coca Cola was invented in Atlanta (and it once contained real cocaine), but c'mon! That's just so wrong!

DaleSwanson

I remember the first time I heard someone call a soda 'pop' I thought they were joking and laughed.

Anyway, here's an interesting link I found a long time ago that this thread reminded me of.

http://www4.uwm.edu//FLL/linguistics/dialect/maps.html

It's similar to this pop vs soda but for many different things, eg, garage sale vs yard sale.

Ms Music

That map is interesting!

I grew up with "soda pop", so neither alone sounds strange to me. Didn't realize it was an issue. And they are called "vacuum cleaners."

Here is another one. I think I was a legal adult (or at least mid teens) before I ever heard the word "KOO pon" (coupon). I grew up hearing "KYOO pon". Anyone else use that? I have always wondered if it was a local thing started by our grocery store "QFC" but I am not sure.

turbo

Here in Maine, you commonly hear people talk about their front yards or even door-yards (amongst older folks), but the word lawn is generally relegated to referring to the grass itself. Still, the phrase "lawn sale" is pretty common. The phrase "garage sale" implies that the goods will be under shelter and the sale will proceed even in inclement weather.

jtbell

For me, it's "kewpon."

leroyjenkens

That website is, pardon my Swahili, darn interesting.
I've heard both my whole life, but kyoo pon just flowed better. I think it's slightly easier to say, too. I think people tend to gradually change pronunciation of words to make it easier. For example "auxiliary" is supposed to be "awg zil yuh ree", but that takes some tongue gymnastics, so people just say "awg zil uh ree".

gmax137

or, how about "Feb-rew-air-ee"