Do Californians say pop or soda?
And Californians and Northeasterners say “Soda”. Midwesterners and Pacific Northwesterners say “Pop”.
Soda is the preferred term in the Northeast, most of Florida, California, and pockets in the Midwest around Milwaukee and St. Louis. Pop is what people say in most of the Midwest and West. And coke, even if it's not Coca-Cola brand, is what people call it in the South.
Soda – Northeasterners, Floridians, Californians, and a few pockets of Midwesterners (around Milwaukee and St. Louis) use this term the most. Pop is preferred in most of the Midwest and West. And coke (even if it's not Coca-Cola brand) is the word Southerners use most often for soft drinks.
People from the West Coast and Northeast would call it soda. Folks from the Midwest and Mountain areas call it pop. And folks in the South? When they order a sweetened carbonated beverage, they ask for a Coke, even when they're ordering a Sprite (as in “I'll have a Coke.
On the West Coast and in New England, people are more likely to say "soda," whereas in some parts of the South, people say "Coke" or "Coca-Cola" to refer to any type of carbonated beverage. You'll likely hear "pop" in states like North Dakota and Minnesota.
"Pop" is most commonly associated with the Midwest and in most of the West, including the Mountain- and the Pacific Northwest. These include Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Kansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
What about carbonated beverages, do you use "soda," "pop," or "Coke?" Now across the U.S. the answer is pretty mixed, but Chicago and most of northern Illinois, use "pop," while the rest of the state say "soda."
Native Texans (like most native Southerners) call all soft drinks "coke"—a generic use of Coke, as in Coca-Cola, invented in Atlanta. Ever since we popped the first top on that refreshing Georgia sipper, we've been loyal to the Coke brand, even slapping it on other drinks like Sprite and Dr. Pepper.
Out of the 401,414 people surveyed, 39.2% called it pop and 40.8% called it soda (sorry "Coke" people, that falls at only 14%)!
There's this trend going around that Californians don't pronounce the letter T in their words. So if you're from California do write this. I'm going to put some words on the screen, I want to hear how you pronounce them.
What words can Californians say?
- "There's a Sigalert for the carpool lane on the 5 south."
- "It takes 20 minutes, depending on traffic."
- "June Gloom."
- "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
- "I'm stoked."
- "Hella."
- "The industry."
Cali slang | Meaning |
---|---|
Come up | Something of value or an opportunity that comes unexpectedly |
Cruise | Come or leave |
Mob | Come quickly |
Dude | Gender neutral term of endearment |

Where did soda get its name? The modern-day soft drink, however, didn't develop until the 18th century, when scientists started synthesizing carbonated water — also known as soda water. The “soda” part of the word is derived from the sodium salts within the water.
States such as New York, New Hampshire, Virginia and Florida call the beverage “soda”. Other states such as Oregon, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Montana call it “pop” while southern states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana refer to any version of the bubbly drink as “Coke”.
"Soda" or "Drinks" is common in Idaho and Utah. "Soda water" is used in more rural parts of the US. “Cold Drink” or “Soft Drink” is used in some parts of the South, it's especially popular in New Orleans.
The soda, pop and coke Civil War continues to rage in America and the Mason-Dixon line lies in Upstate New York. That's because in Rochester, Buffalo and the rest of Western New York, the sweet, carbonated drink is typically called a pop. In the rest of the state, it's a soda.
Possibly the most popular revelation of the study focused which parts of the U.S. say “pop” versus “soda” when referring to a sweetened, carbonated beverage. Californians are decisively 'soda', whereas Washingtonians prefer the term 'pop'.
People in Oregon call a fizzy soft drink, [Both] Pop.
"Pop" is a word for what others call "soda."
One of the most common words Midwesterners get teased for saying is their word for "soda." You may get strange looks for saying it elsewhere in the US, but a fizzy, flavored drink is called a "pop" in the Midwest.
For those who like sweet fizzy beverages, it's best to order a pop when you're in Chicago instead of soda. This isn't a Chicago-only term, but here in the Big Onion, we have a strong preference for calling the beverage pop. So the next time your Chicago host asks what you want to drink, say, “I'll take a pop, please.”
What states call it soda?
States such as New York, New Hampshire, Virginia and Florida call the beverage “soda”. Other states such as Oregon, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Montana call it “pop” while southern states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana refer to any version of the bubbly drink as “Coke”.
"Pop" is a word for what others call "soda."
One of the most common words Midwesterners get teased for saying is their word for "soda." You may get strange looks for saying it elsewhere in the US, but a fizzy, flavored drink is called a "pop" in the Midwest.
Although not universal, "pop" is most common according to surveys. However, "coke" or "soda" is perfectly acceptable. Locals go to the beach not the shore. In particular, people in Seattle will go to "Alki", "Golden Gardens", or "Lake Washington" which are the main beaches.
Detroiters know it as “pop,” but there are those from other locales that cringe and irritably add “soda” in correction. As it turns out, however, Detroit has a unique relationship with the carbonated brew that arguably gives the city naming rights.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the term "fizzy drink" is common. "Pop" and "fizzy pop" are used in Northern England, South Wales, and the Midlands while "mineral" is used in Ireland. In Scotland, "fizzy juice" or even simply "juice" is colloquially encountered, as is "ginger".
Tonic. While not as popular as it once was, the term “tonic” is still used by many, especially in the Boston area, to describe any carbonated beverage.
What does NJ Call soda? People in states like Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Minnesota say that they use “pop.” People in states like California, Missouri, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wisconsin say “soda.”
Overview. Californians speak with a more open mouth, often not closing the mouth at the end of a sentence.
Many Bay Area residents and Californians believe that hella — and its G-rated equivalent “hecka” — are Bay Area slang. The words, which mean “very” or “a lot of,” can be used multiple ways. You can say “I'm hella stoked” or “There were hella people at that party last night,” or even, “I was doing it for hella days.”...
This is used as an adjective to describe something that is cool. Northern Californians often say “hella rad”, meaning very cool. “Gnarly” is used predominantly by surfers in California, but because I lived in Huntington Beach for a few years (also known as Surf City), I have heard it quite a bit.
What do you call girls from LA?
Angeleno
If you live in LA, then you can proudly call yourself an Angeleno.
No, Californians do not say “Cali” unless they are referring to Santiago de Cali, the most populous city in Columbia. I have also never heard a Californian refer to Orange County as “the O.C.”
Why do Californians say yeah no? “No yeah” on the other hand, means yeah or yes. There is really no reason that these are used in place of yes and no, but sure enough, it is used. This phrase is more of an American colloquialism than just California-specific, but can still be heard around California.
“The Golden State.” “NorCal” and “SoCal.” The loathed “Frisco.” When it comes to famous — and debate-provoking — nicknames, California has the rest of the United States beat. The diminutive “Cali” is one of the most commonly used substitutions for the polysyllabic state name. Video Player is loading.
Not all Americans call a carbonated beverage “soda.” There are variations of “pop,” “soda pop,” “tonic,” “Coke,” (regardless of the type of carbonated beverage), “soda,” and probably other regional references.
States such as New York, New Hampshire, Virginia and Florida call the beverage “soda”. Other states such as Oregon, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Montana call it “pop” while southern states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana refer to any version of the bubbly drink as “Coke”.
They say the term "soda pop" is traced back to the 1800s when seltzer water came into production and tasty carbonated beverages were eventually served at soda fountains in drug stores. Their report indicates "pop" itself caught on as slang, and was prominently used in northern states like Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Native Texans (like most native Southerners) call all soft drinks "coke"—a generic use of Coke, as in Coca-Cola, invented in Atlanta. Ever since we popped the first top on that refreshing Georgia sipper, we've been loyal to the Coke brand, even slapping it on other drinks like Sprite and Dr. Pepper.
7 Mexican sodas you should know: Sol, Jarritos, Topo Sabores, Lift, Mexican Coke, Mundet, and Sangria Senorial. It should come as no surprise that Mexicans, like those of us north of the border, drink a lot of soda.