I periodically have a discussion about it in my journal, just because I'm madly obsessed with the pop/soda/coke debate. Maybe it's time for another one?
I have never ever actually ever irl ever met someone who says only coke! That's crazy. How do you know if you're asking for Coke the brand, or any soda - Coke, Sprite, Pepsi, Fanta, etc.?
See, and I hadn't met anyone who called it soda till college. I knew a few people who said pop--I have some cousins in Indiana--but never, ever soda. That's what people say on TV, like supermarket for grocery store, that no one in real life ever says. *shrug*
Well, in my area of the country, you can either say Coca-cola or, you say coke first, then specify. Like, if you ask company if they want coke, they'll say, "Yeah, what do you have?" And then you name it off--Dr. Pepper, Sprite, whatever.
Of course, in most areas of the Deep South, people call everything Co-cola (really, it's coca-cola, obviously, but they say it so quickly that it loses the second syllable). Things are a bit trickier there: you mostly learn to ask for specific brand by name if that's what you want. Though I don't drink any kind of coke at all, so I avoid most of these discussions.
All of this has to do with the fact that Coca-cola was the first soft drink, and it was invented in Atlanta. So for us, for years, that was the only thing there was. Kind of like the way you say Kleenex or Band-Aid. Who really says facial tissue or bandage? The brand has become so closely associated with the substance that there's no line between them.
Huh, interesting. I suppose that works the same as with soda - you say soda and then clarify what brand - but it's weird because with Coke, that's one of the possible brands you could want, especially since up here no one everrrr says Coca-cola. That's what makes it different from Xerox/Band-aid/Kleenex - you don't have to ask someone for a Kleenex and then specify that no, I wanted the Puffs instead. I dunno.
And I've never heard of saying co-cola, that's so interesting! Language is funny.
I guess it's more like saying "chips." Now that can mean straight-up potato chips (which can be shortened to just chips) or Doritos or Cheetos or something.
The co-cola thing is dying out, I think. It was definitely a Deep South thing up until the last decade or so. I think it's being slowly overtaken by coke. Which is kind of sad.
Down here, we all say band-aid, but anyone asking for "Kleenex" would be un-utterably weird. And if you asked for a "Xerox", no-one would know what you meant. They're tissues and photocopies.
But that's interesting that you do say band-aid but don't say Kleenex. I loooove etymology.
It's always fascinating to me when words fall into public domain--like Kleenex or Band-Aid or escalator. At this point, I feel like the only word that is still trademarked by a company but that's also used as a sort of generic name is Dobro, and the legal battles surrounding that have been interesting to say the least. Do you even know what that is?
My growing-up-BFF works for Otis Elevator Company (yes. He is an elevator salesman). So I know all about escalators. ;D
It's an instrument. A resonator guitar. I want desperately to learn how to play it, but alas, I am too lazy.
If you have ever listened to Allison Krauss and Union Station, you've heard it. Jerry Douglas is so famous (he is to the Dobro what Hendrix, Clapton, and Jimmy Page are to the electric guitar combined) that when he tours with them, they change the name of the band to Allison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. No lie.
Check him out here! He's awesome! Towards the end his fingers are moving so fast you wouldn't believe it!
I think I was an adult before I ran across anyone who called it 'pop'. I seriously thought the only people who called it 'pop' were characters in black and white shows from the 1950s. :)
It's a type of coke, of course! It's a Southern thing. ;)
(I suspect that it's a byproduct of Coke having originated in Atlanta so way, way back once upon a time they literally all were Coke products in the South. It's a bit like using the name "Linoleum" for sheet vinyl flooring products (even though they aren't technically linoleum and 'Linoleum' is actually a trademarked brand name) or 'Kleenex' for tissues or 'Dryvit' for EIFS, etc.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I periodically have a discussion about it in my journal, just because I'm madly obsessed with the pop/soda/coke debate. Maybe it's time for another one?
For what it's worth, it's coke. Always coke.
no subject
I have never ever actually ever irl ever met someone who says only coke! That's crazy. How do you know if you're asking for Coke the brand, or any soda - Coke, Sprite, Pepsi, Fanta, etc.?
no subject
Well, in my area of the country, you can either say Coca-cola or, you say coke first, then specify. Like, if you ask company if they want coke, they'll say, "Yeah, what do you have?" And then you name it off--Dr. Pepper, Sprite, whatever.
Of course, in most areas of the Deep South, people call everything Co-cola (really, it's coca-cola, obviously, but they say it so quickly that it loses the second syllable). Things are a bit trickier there: you mostly learn to ask for specific brand by name if that's what you want. Though I don't drink any kind of coke at all, so I avoid most of these discussions.
All of this has to do with the fact that Coca-cola was the first soft drink, and it was invented in Atlanta. So for us, for years, that was the only thing there was. Kind of like the way you say Kleenex or Band-Aid. Who really says facial tissue or bandage? The brand has become so closely associated with the substance that there's no line between them.
no subject
And I've never heard of saying co-cola, that's so interesting! Language is funny.
no subject
The co-cola thing is dying out, I think. It was definitely a Deep South thing up until the last decade or so. I think it's being slowly overtaken by coke. Which is kind of sad.
no subject
Erm, see my reply to Lauren. :)
no subject
...but I don't. :)
Down here, we all say band-aid, but anyone asking for "Kleenex" would be un-utterably weird. And if you asked for a "Xerox", no-one would know what you meant. They're tissues and photocopies.
no subject
But that's interesting that you do say band-aid but don't say Kleenex. I loooove etymology.
It's always fascinating to me when words fall into public domain--like Kleenex or Band-Aid or escalator. At this point, I feel like the only word that is still trademarked by a company but that's also used as a sort of generic name is Dobro, and the legal battles surrounding that have been interesting to say the least. Do you even know what that is?
no subject
And escalator was a brand name? Huh.
no subject
It's an instrument. A resonator guitar. I want desperately to learn how to play it, but alas, I am too lazy.
If you have ever listened to Allison Krauss and Union Station, you've heard it. Jerry Douglas is so famous (he is to the Dobro what Hendrix, Clapton, and Jimmy Page are to the electric guitar combined) that when he tours with them, they change the name of the band to Allison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. No lie.
Check him out here! He's awesome! Towards the end his fingers are moving so fast you wouldn't believe it!
Also! He explains the instrument here.
I love American folk music.
no subject
no subject
(I suspect that it's a byproduct of Coke having originated in Atlanta so way, way back once upon a time they literally all were Coke products in the South. It's a bit like using the name "Linoleum" for sheet vinyl flooring products (even though they aren't technically linoleum and 'Linoleum' is actually a trademarked brand name) or 'Kleenex' for tissues or 'Dryvit' for EIFS, etc.)