Are Iowans Unique Because We Say ‘Pop’ And Not ‘Soda’?
Today is National Have a Coke Day, because it's the anniversary of the first day Coca-Cola went on sale at a pharmacy in Atlanta way back in 1886. So it's 133 years old today.
But a new survey from YouGov found 1 in 9 Americans aren't necessarily talking about Coca-Cola when they say they 'want a Coke.' Over 3,000 Americans were asked what word they normally use for a carbonated beverage. And 11% use 'Coke' as a GENERIC term for all soft drinks. No one in Iowa does that. Here, Coke is the drink, not just a bubbly drink.
The survey went on to find that 56% of us say 'soda' while only 13% say 'pop'
So who else is saying 'pop' besides people here In Iowa? Well the survey found what you say probably depends on where you grew up.
73% of people from the Northeast and 63% in the West say 'soda', while 41% in the Midwest say 'pop'. So it's more regional than anything.
The South is the one place where the term 'Coke' is fairly popular. 52% of southerners say 'soda,' and 16% say simply 'Coke.'