Pop vs. Soda vs. Coke

What word do you use to describe a soft drink?  As you may have noticed from one of my previous post, I say “pop.”  Being from Minnesota, this is considered normal.  Don’t believe me?  Take a look at this map:

Source: http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html

 

According to this study of 120,464 people conducted in 2003, there appears to be three primary names for soft drinks in America: Blue represents “pop,” Yellow represents “soda,” and Red represents “coke.”  It’s interesting how “soda” – which we hear all the time in TV and movies – is concentrated primarily on the east and west coasts.  These areas of course have large populations, but in terms of area one would think “pop” or “coke” would be the national standard.

Is this map scientific?  I’m not sure.  But hey, it’s fun to look at.