What general term do you use to refer to a carbonated soft drink?

[Andaas]

Just curious...

[Idespair]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oaIxcgNKgk

[Zeyla]

I think it largely depends on where you grew up California boy here...

[Adella]

I think it largely depends on where you grew up California boy here...

This is very true. I was born in Texas but have spent most of my life living in Michigan and can verify that people in Texas do call all carbonated drinks a coke. Due to the fact that I have spent most of my life in Michigan and used to confuse people in school by calling all soft drinks a coke I ended up adapting to calling them pop's.

Isn't pop just short for soda pop? and vice versa with soda just a shortened version of the full word soda pop? Never really gave it much thought I guess.

[Andaas]

Yep, someone said "pop" last night (which always sounds alien to me) so I posted this just to see how the guild responded.

[Adella]

This has me really thinking.. It is pretty stupid to call it a pop if in fact it is just short for soda pop. This would be like calling a carburetor a uretor for short instead of the commonly used term "carb". Or calling a Cellular Phone a ular phone instead of a cell phone. You have to go easy on us northern folk though. The air is much thinner up here. We aren't stupid on purpose, so be nice.

[Adella]

Help me out here people. Is there any other words that are shortened using the 2nd half of the word instead of the 1st? Because I can't seem to think of any..

[Valdis]

Well it'd be better to look for multiple word nouns. Soda Pop not sodapop. And technically soda is more of an adjective then a noun in this case but either way.

So cell phone, is commonly referred to as phone as much as cell.

[Andaas]

So cell phone, is commonly referred to as phone as much as cell.

Better yet, telephone is commonly referred to as phone.

Refrigerator is commonly referred to as fridge.

In the UK, television is commonly referred to as tele. (though that's a front-loaded abbreviation).

In Hoss, we commonly refer to Alexthegreat as Alex. I think it's just easier to attach an abbreviation to the truth, e.g., we know Alex is not great, therefore he is called Alex.

[Adella]

In Hoss, we commonly refer to Alexthegreat as Alex. I think it's just easier to attach an abbreviation to the truth, e.g., we know Alex is not great, therefore he is called Alex.

LOL so true!

Thanks for pointing out the telephone / phone thing. For some reason I could not think of any other words shortened using the 2nd half. I don't feel as stupid using the word pop now.

[Lonskils]

I grew up in TN. A night out generally went like this...

Waitress walking up and exclaims, "What kind of coke can I get you folks?" To which we'd reply, "Coke", "Dr Pepper", "Sprite", "I'll have an unsweet/sweet tea."

Now after living in various places I just refer to it as a "Soda".

[Kattoo Tacit]

Help me out here people. Is there any other words that are shortened using the 2nd half of the word instead of the 1st? Because I can't seem to think of any..

Internet - Net
Refrigerator - Frige
Potato - tater (as in tater tots)
Alligator - gator ..... Oddly crocodiles are not diles

To the original poll:
Cola is a common reference to soda pops as well. Right down to coca cola and Pepsi cola names.

[Zappo]

I say soda. But when referring to coke/pepsi like products, I say cola. No one else seems to use the word cola : (
Misc dialect quiz: http://spark.rstudio.com/jkatz/DialectQuiz/

[Aniaa]

New Mexico... coke!! I had to learn in Georgia to specify what kind of coke I want or I'll get a Coca Cola. In AZ I have to admit I did learn to say Soda.

[Terminater]

Soda or I say the name full name of the drink.
People here(Florida) may say different things.

[Idespair]