There aren’t enough hours in the world for me to dig up all the times John McCain has mercilessly shot down a principled stand taken at some other time by John McCain. I’m busy and John doesn’t pay enough. However, I can imagine a pretty amusing compilation post in the works so let’s try a little distributed computing. I would be much obliged if readers could cite whatever examples come to mind – links are mandatory, video of stance #1 and stance #2 (and #3 and #4 as the case may be) would be superb.
One other thing. I’ve noticed with experience that substantive blegs get less traffic than the ‘favorite recipe’ kind, so I’m going to mix it up a bit. In addition to your John McCain tomfoolery, add whether you say ‘soda’ or ‘pop’ (or ‘sodapop’ I guess) and what region you’re from.
Napoleon
Pop
You should be asking where you grew up, not necessarily where you are from (if by that you mean today). Also I think I recall reading at one time that in part of the country they use “Coke” in the same way others use soda and pop (and like some people call any photocopy a Xerox).
I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio half way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh and live in Cleveland.
SueinNM
I’m from CA, and I always say “Coke” to refer to just about any soft drink. Otherwise, I say “soft drink.” “Pop” and “soda” weren’t really used in the Bay Area, where I grew up.
Elistists.
SueinNM
I’m from CA, and I always say “Coke” to refer to just about any soft drink. Otherwise, I say “soft drink.” “Pop” and “soda” weren’t really used in the Bay Area, where I grew up.
Elistists.
scarshapedstar
Glad to oblige.
The Real McCain
The Real McCain 2
In Atlanta, we don’t use either word (unless we are 80 years old), and enough of this “everything’s a Coke” myth. The term is “soft drink”. Geez.
Sueinnm
Sorry for the double post. And it’s “elitist,” of course.
cleek
McCain on Sadr (video at the link)
McCain on nuclear policy
McCain on wiretaps
soda (from upstate NY: Corning, Glens Falls)
Nylund
No McCain links from me, but I say I don’t say pop (born and raised in SF), but my best friend growing up did, but I think he picked that up from his Wisconsin-raised mother.
Here in Toronto, its all “pop”, both spoken and written. I lived in NYC for a long long time and rarely saw “pop” written on menus or signs, but my friends actually born in NJ, Brooklyn, or other nearby areas often said pop.
And, although I definitely don’t say pop, I don’t think I actually say soda very often. I state a specific brand (eg Coke or 7up) or type (like root beer) mostly, but when unspecified, I am more likely to say soft drink than soda.
Even with 10 years in “pop” land, I still think it sounds weird and cringe when people say it and find it specially horrific if a menu or sign actually writes it that way.
OCD
Soda – Mobile, AL
cleek
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
urg… you asked for links…
adolphus
There is a rather amusing map on the second topic at
http://popvssoda.com:2998/countystats/total-county.html
Sorry I don’t know how to embed links in comments. I may be a dolt, but the map is still cool.
Now if we can just crack the sub vs. grinder vs. po’ boy vs. hero issue
SGEW
In my mind, John McCain disqualified himself when he pulled his backstage shenanigans to pass the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and was instrumental in allowing the Executive branch unaccountable carte blance in regards to torture. Torture.
I still can’t really believe it. A man who was literally tortured in a P.O.W. camp basically allowing the President to torture people. To death. This is not hyperbole.
Greenwald has a good rundown here.
Unfortunately, there are no video clips that can accurately express the full depth of . . . well . . . evil complicity that this spells out. The M.C.A. is a complicated issue (Balkinization’s essential but rather numerous posts hardly make for quick soundbites), but there must be some way to hammer McCain on his immoral capitulation to the torture regime.
Also: “Soda.” N.Y.C.
Seonachan
I say “soda”, but everyone around me growing up in northeastern Massachusetts said “tonic”.
Michael D.
When I lived in eastern Canada, I would also say Coke to refer to just about anything. Now that I live in Georgia, I guess I would say “soft drink” unless I was in a place where I know they call it soda.
scott
“It was a shameful thing to ask men to suffer and die, to persevere through god-awful afflictions and heartache, to endure the dehumanizing experiences that are unavoidable in combat, for a cause that the country wouldn’t support over time and that our leaders so wrongly believed could be achieved at a smaller cost than our enemy was prepared to make us pay. No other national endeavor requires as much unshakable resolve as war. If the nation and the government lack that resolve, it is criminal to expect men in the field to carry it alone.”
From McCain’s forward to David Halberstam’s book The Best and the Brightest via Digby.
And I’m originally from Kentucky where all fizzy driks are called Co-Cola as in,
“Pass me one ‘o dem Co-Colas.”
“Ok, what kind?”
“Mr. Pibb”
rob!
here’s a whole bunch of flip-flops, all in one 2:50 long clip:
The Real McCain
i love the “i said Iraq would be easy”/”no, i never said that” bit.
…oh, and i like Stewart’s Orange Cream Soda, and look forward to turning my home state of NJ from Land of Hillary into Obama Country.
Conservatively Liberal
Raised in Spokane, and I call it ‘soda’. The wife, daughter and son all call it the same thing too. Which is odd because just about everyone I knew called it ‘pop’. When I went back east (upstate NY) in the early 80’s, I called it soda and everyone else did too. I felt right at home…lol!
Until I ordered a pizza. When I called the order to a local shop for the first time, I asked for a large with ‘canadian bacon, pepperoni, black olives and pineapple’. When I said ‘pineapple’, they hung up on me. I called back and asked what happened. The guy says ‘were you the guy who asked for pineapple on a pizza?’, and I said yes. He said he thought it was a crank call and wanted to know why I wanted pineapple on a pizza. I told him that in Washington state, you can get pineapple on pizza.
He said ‘we make real pizza here’. So I ordered a ‘real pizza’, and it was great! After I added canned pineapple to it…lol
dr. luba
I’m from Detroit, and we’ve always called it “pop” around here. I began calling it soda for some reason years ago (affection, probably, as I am an “elistist”) and still do.
And does anyone really say “soft drink” aloud? Sheesh. I thought that was just someting written on restaurant menus.
I agree that torture is the most egregious example of McCain flip-flopping for political expediency. Disgusting. But there are so many other examples. And I voted for the man in 2000 (open primaries, I was afraid of Bush even then). Who is this servile little gollum that’s replaced the brave maverick?
John
“Everything’s a Coke” is a real thing, apparently mostly in the South, if that map is to be taken seriously. I’ve certainly known people who do that.
Also – the geographical distribution here seems rather odd, compared to the map, which has always stood me in good stead in the real world (except its strange ignoring of “tonic” in New England.)
Stephen1947
In 1970, I moved from Colorado, where we referred to fizzy drinks as pop, to Boston, where they are tonic. I like being different.
No links becuz it’s so obvious – I commented earlier today at The Carpetbagger Report that John McC campaigning as a reformer will always be reminded of J McCain’s campaign finance reform act – which he not only diregarded this spring but dishonored in the act.
Dave
I grew up in Montana, and it was always “pop”. I live in Wisconsin now and everyone says “soda”. And a drinking fountain is called a “bubbler”, which is just strange…
gypsy howell
Soda. Philly suburbs.
None of the above. It’s called a Hoagie.
calipygian
Generic names for soft drinks by county.
What can I say, Im a language geek.
Adrienne
Well, I’m from Philly, by way of NYC and central PA, and I call it soda. Anything else would be uncivilized.
McCain on Jerry Falwell then and now.
greynoldsct00
I’m a Connecticut Yankee. We pretty much call it soda here. I lived in four other states before I came back to CT and I can report on the sandwich issue:
CT: Grinder; Florida: Hoagie; California: Hero; Lousisana: Po’Boy; Georgia: Po’Boy/Sub
I think the best McCain stuff has been covered. It stuns me that the polls for him are as high as they are.
Adrienne
EXACTLY!!! However, to call the half-assed (thin, stingy on the meat) things they make in other parts of the countries a hoagie would be a misnomer and as uncivilized as calling soda “pop”. If it ain’t from Philly, it ain’t a hoagie!! So people can call those things anything they please. Just don’t call what WE make a sub/grinder/hero/po’ boy.
Garrigus Carraig
It’s only a hoagie if it’s on an Amoroso roll. Otherwise you can call it whatever the hell you want.
“Soda”, Philadelphia.
Soylent Green
Whenever I see John McCain, I say “pop.”
jibeaux
Put NC in the “Everything’s a Coke, including orange and purple drinks” column.
Shinobi
Soda. St. Louis, MO
gypsy howell
As for McCain, how about his egregious flipflopping between blueberry jello and lime jello?
And now the rumor that he’s going to switch to cherry jello! Will the flipflopping never end?
Dennis - SGMM
McCain says “phosphate.”
gypsy howell
I say “Grand Pop.”
Keith
Pop. South Wales (the old one, not the New one)
Napoleon
Now that’s funny.
Genine
I’m from Philly and I call it soda. So did everyone else. When I moved to Portland, Oregon, everyone called it pop. It took me a moment to figure out what everyone was talking about. Here in Denver, its kind of a mix. But mainly, people call it soda.
Also, being fromin Philly, I’m used to calling ATM machines MAC machines. When I first moved to Portland, some friends wanted to go to dinner and I said “Sure! I just have to go to the MAC machine first.” They looked at me like I was crazy. I was like “What?”
They asked me what does going to the MAC machine have to do with dinner. I said, “Well I have to pay for dinner. I need money.” They continued to stare at me in silence. Then I looked at them like THEY were crazy.
They asked me “How’s the Mac machine going to give you money?” I was shocked by that question. I said “You know… you take your card out, stick it in the machine, punch in some numbers and money comes out!” I thought they were out of their mind.
Then comprehension dawned and they laughed. “Oh! We thought you were talking about a computer. We thought you had to go to the Mac store or something. We call them ATM’s out here.”
Then I started laughing, too. Regional quirks are funny that way.
TheFountainHead
Not that you should cut and paste, John, but this Ron Paul supporter seems to have already done a lot of the work for you.
h/t JedReport
Tim Fuller
McCain was against torture and now he supports it. That singular embrace of a war crime is enough to nullify him as a candidate for President and makes him only marginally acceptable as a human being.
Have a Coke.
Enjoy.
Chinn Romney
The Romneys go with the flow. When Uncle Mitt was running for MA Guvnor we all said ‘tonic’, so the Natives would think we were one of them.
Barbara
In Pittsburgh, it was “pop” or, more rarely, “soda pop.”
I moved to the South where there does seem to be more variation. They call it soda or soft drink or just “Coke,” which I assume is because Coca Cola originated in the South (Georgia), and so became synonymous with the entire category. So now, I call it soda — or even “non-alcoholic beverage” when I’m in a restaurant asking a waiter what my kids can drink — technically speaking, a mango lassi has no bubbles.
The Moar You Know
Born in Alabama, where you can get nothing but Coke, seemingly. Raised in California, where one specifies by brand name.
Get some Passover Coke (2-liter bottles with the yellow caps) – they only make one production run per year. It has real sugar, unlike the HFCS-sweetened normal Coke, and the difference in flavor is incredible.
If you are lucky enough to live in NYC, you can get it cans. That’s almost worth the airfare to get there, in my book.
W.E.B. Adamant
I say “coke,” but that’s because I’m from the South – specifically, Arkansas.
Good luck with the rest of your project.
adolphus
“HOAGIE!!!!”
I knew I missed one!
When I was a runner in DC (now a runner in Florida) we called water fountains “bubblers” only if they actually worked. Most of the fountains around the National Mall are a lot like male nipples. All protuberances and no plumbing. If a running partner says she knows that there is a bubbler around the next corner, that means there is a water fountain that actually works and has enough loft so that you can drink without touching your lips to the metal.
That’s a bubbler.
Now has anyone ever run afoul of the whole “regular coffee” issue? In some regions that means with cream and sugar, in some regions black, and some regions they don’t formally use the phrase at all. This can lead to hilarious moments when someone gets exactly the wrong type of coffee or gets into an argument with a surly waitress that reminds one of an Abbott and Costello routine.
Zifnab
Down in Houston, I hear it referred to as Coke or whatever brand name you prefer. I gave up on soda in college after a rather painful dentist visit, and I’ve never looked back. Of course, I’ve moved on to beer, so I don’t know if I’ve actually made an improvement.
Svensker
Yes! When I moved to NY from WA (and went from “pop” to “soda”) I ordered “regular” coffee, meaning non-decaf black coffee. Got coffee with milk and sugar. Even 20 years later, it still confused me.
And ditto to the “What kind of Coke do you want? I’ll have a Mr. Pibb” — that’s exactly the combo I used to hear when I worked in Decatur, GA.
Ed Drone
I have nothing in the way of links, but in Des Moines, we called it “pop,” and my sister, who still lives there, still calls it “pop.” I call it “soda,” but when I still lived in Des Moines, a “soda” had ice cream in it.
I seldom refer to sodas as “soft drinks” — except in a more scientific way, to distinguish soft drinks from alcoholic drinks. And Coke is a brand name, so when I say “Diet Coke” and all they have is Pepsi products, I get a root beer*.
Ed
* When I can’t get a latte, that is.
cleek
pedantically speaking, there are hundreds of Coke products.
EdTheRed
DC – soda.
passerby
In New Orleans it’s Po-Boy (poorboy) and it’s made with a kind of french bread you can’t get anywhere else, which sets it apart from hero, gyro and hoagie.
Growing up we called sodas “cold drinks” even when they were at room temperature. “Soft drinks” and “cokes” was also common but, nowadays as the world has grown smaller, soda is the prevalent name.
In serarch of McCain-foolery, I was just reading at mccain.senate.gov the statements posted there. They’re put forth with quotation marks to imply that McCain himself is making the statements.
Now we all know, from Congress, from the Supreme Court, and from the Executive, that statement making, brief writing, and speech writing is often done with the support of a staff of employees.
In McCain’s case, in light of his recent “I didn’t say that, it was a prepared statement” it occurs to me that these on-the-record statements not only did NOT come from his pen, they would never come out of his mouth. Hell, if asked about these stances, he probably would not be able to clearly discuss them.
He’s less than a mere puppet, he’s…only a paper moon hanging over a cardboard sea. And he is the likely nominee of the GOP for POTUS??
He’s nothing and that’s the real reason to be dumbstruck.
T
passerby
I’ve said this before, I supported Mccain in 2000, and have watched him do well in the townhall venues.
But, after reading that forward, does anyone believe that those words were written by John McCain???
My perception is no.
T
Robert Sneddon
West of Scotland — ginger (I presume derived from ginger beer). The top soft drink here is Irn Bru (“Made in Scotland from girders”). Americans exposed to the Real Thing, y’ken say it tastes like bubblegum.
There are ads for it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfHFWq-YIOk
passerby
foreword
T
gypsy howell
Ha Genine! I still slip up and call it the ‘MAC machine’ sometimes too. (“Money Access Card” for all you non-Philly-ites)
As for McCain, I’m starting to wonder if his candidacy is even going to make it to the convention. Has that ever happened before?
linda
as an iowa native, i always called it ‘pop’ … until i moved to the big city. since i’ve been a new yorker, it’s ‘soda’.
adolphus
And has anyone here who has spent time in New England tried Moxie?
When I lived in New Hampshire and Vermont (not at the same time) I knew people who drank it like water and I thought it was the vilest swill ever bottled.
Kind of like carbonated Ouzo without the alcohol, but the locals loved it.
LarryB
That’s funny. My wife is from France. She says that root beer tastes like liquified Band-aids.
Chuck Butcher
glove box = jockey box
Chuck Butcher
ooops NE OR & E WA
dancinfool
Native of New Orleans, we say, “soft drink.”
As for McCain, see this.
SGEW
Hey, does anyone know if this story of McCain saying “I am a war criminal” on 60 minutes in 1997 is accurate?
Not the most reliable of sources (to say the least), but it should be somewhat easily findable. Anyone have a Lexis/Nexis accout? Or the complete video library of 1990s Sixty Minutes?
Now this is a video clip I want to see.
(Can’t imbed links right now, for some reason. Anyway, story is repeated here:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=oid%3A106298
and here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=10316
Stupid internets skillz. I don’t have them.)
Hedley Lamarr
Isn’t pop short for soda pop?
cleek
McCain’s also really into the America is a Christian Nation thing.
f that guy
(iWhore)
b-psycho
I’m from Iowa. We say “pop” for the most part, and so do I unless I’m ordering an orange soda, because “orange pop” doesn’t sound right. Spent some years in Georgia — aka Hell, IMO — and every time I ordered a pop one of the yokels would say “ya ain’t from roun’ ‘ere, are ya?”, like I’m the one that’s wrong.
As for the name for long sandwiches, I’ve always heard sub. Way I think of it, a Po’ Boy has to be filled in an obviously Cajun/Creole way, w/ Shrimp or Crawfish or somethin’, otherwise it’s either a sub or just a sandwich.
John S.
Soda.
From New York, grew up in South
New YorkFlorida.Only people I ever heard refer to it as ‘pop’ around these here parts are from the Midwest.
mr serene
Soda. Southern NE
Pop is what the old man is called.
Crusty Dem
sorry for no linkee (iPhone), but he admitted to lying for ambition with regards to the SC confederate flag hubbub. Really awful apology, I think part of it is on the Ron Paul video.
And Illinois/Iowa area – pop, sub, black, ATM
passerby
We’re not the only ones capable of seeing AND declaring that the emperor has no clothes. So wait, why is he the nominee??
[I’ll ease up now on the whole McCain is nothing viewpoint. If I don’t, I’ll be grinding metal on this axle all the way through the summer.]
T
One day soon I will become link savvy.
asl
Southeast Wisconsin when a kid (70s)- Pop.
tim
Lived most of my life in Kansas, where we said “POP,” then moved to Fort Lauderdale, where I trained myself to say “SODA,” (people looked at me weird when I said “POP), now living in Boston where I still say “SODA,” but apparently some people say “TONIC.”
I’m not retraining myself again. :)
mr serene
How about also asking if a sandwich in a long roll is called a sub or a grinder?
It’s a grinder here in southern NE. A sub is a submarine.
BrianD
From Chicago, raised saying “pop” by my parents who moved from Detroit shortly before I was born and told me that “pop” was a Detroit thing.
PaulB
Soda.
As for the topic, here you go, courtesy of The Carpetbagger Report.
Bey
50/50 Coke or soda. Southern Illinois seems like kind of a blend of KY and St. Louis.
Oddly, I grew up in Carbondale where half the population is students from the Chicago area, but their “pop” foolishness doesn’t make inroads.
But the accent does. We don’t sound like anyone else in the area. Much less southern.
McCain’s stance on torture is a classic Rethug position and enough to revoke his humanity licence as far as I’m concerned. Bad when it’s applied to him, but ok for everyone else.
Pig.
passerby
A PoBoy can be made with anything, roast beef w/ gravy, ham, turkey, fried shrimp (my personal favorite), fried oyster, fried softshell crab, even french fries. During the depression, when the poor boy sandwich became popular french fries were the cheap way to go vs. meat and fish which were costly, if not scarce.
Technically, since it’s shaped like a submarine, i guess you could call it a sub, but it’s a specific type of bread that’s used that make it a New Orleans treat.
Here in E. Tenn. where I live now I’m lucky that a restauranteur (sp) washed out of NO by Katrina has set up shop and has the bread imported from NO daily. This french bread only has a shelf life of 24-36 hours. After that it goes stale and makes excellent bread pudding.
Sorry, I’m chattering like monkey, but I love food and beer talk.
I’ll shut up now.
T
that colored fella
Pop!
Chicago, Ill
Punchy
Pop — Chicago.
If you order soda, they’ll put that colorless, tasteless carbonated soda water shit in a glass and hand it to you.
AND QUIT CALLING “PIZZA” A “PIE”. IT AINT PIE. ITS A FUCKING PIZZA.
McMartin
Soda or soft drink – Silicon Valley.
And for God’s sake, non-Americans, Ginger Beer and Root Beer are not the same thing. Root Beer is, or is closer to, sasparilla. Don’t get either in America unless it’s from a company with ties to the Prohibition Era; happily, there are still a lot of those.
There doesn’t appear to be any consistent differences between ginger beer, ginger ale, ginger brew, and ginger soda other than what the manufacturer calls it, so manufacturers are your guide there as they are with any other brewed drink.
Keith
If it comes out of a fountain that I have to pour myself, I say I want “a Coke”, so I basically refer to sodas as “Coke”, unless I mean a specific kind, in which case I’ll use it. I’m from the Gulf Coast, with a lot of family from Atlanta, hence the Coca-Cola-centrism.
Tlazolteotl
Seattle here. We use “Coke” as a pseudogeneric for any kind of pop/soda, just as we say “Kleenex” when we mean ’tissue.’
b. hussein canuckistani
Toronto – it’s called “pop’, often called “soft drinks” in menus, and Coke refers specifically to Coke ™, although you will often get a Pepsi if you ask for a Coke.
Martin
Regular coffee is non-decaf, medium size with cream and 2 sugars. Coffee black is what you think it is. Coffee light is just cream. Coffee sweet is just the sugar. In NY back in the day, if you couldn’t explain what you want in under 2 seconds, you’d break the city. Now that you have a much lower chance of being killed waiting for your coffee, I understand that even NY has succumbed to expecting an extended conversation over what to put in the little cup.
If I’m somehow goaded into ordering from a Starbucks I order regular coffee. If someone asks what flavor coffee or size or any of that shit I just scowl at the barista like I’m gonna rip their goddamn head off and they usually figure it out pretty quick.
Soda is just that – soda. You don’t put fruit on pizza, ketchup on hot dogs, or cheese on apple pie (what the fuck is wrong with you people?). I’ve since moved around the country too much to give a definitive answer on sub/hoagie/grinder since the sandwich itself changes based on region to a fair degree, so the name goes more with what you expect to get. Generally it’s a sub, but it’s a hoagie at the local place with Amoroso rolls (they ship them in along with TastyKakes and all the good Philly shit) and a grinder, etc. when appropriate.
bago
Embed. Imbed is not a word.
Jim
born in Buffalo, lived in Arizona for longer than I care to admit – soda.
carsick
Soft drink then pop then soda pop (when I’m feeling sock hoppy). Never soda.
South Western Ohio. When I lived in NYC my friends laughed at “soft drink”.
SGEW
You’re right (in common usage), but don’t blame me: blame my variant spelling.
I keep writing “colour” and “honour” too. Must be all those damned British novels I read.
Also:
This is why I’m reduced to saying “coffeeblacknosugar” as fast as I can. Coffee! Black! NO Sugar! What is so hard to understand here?
cleek
tomato: fruit
pepper: fruit
olive: fruit
flavortext
Los Angeles, CA – Soda. When someone asks for a Coke, I get them a Coca-Cola, and when someone asks for pop, I tell them I don’t smoke.
Tom in Texas
Is ranch with pizza purely a Texas thing?
I think it’s disgusting, but it’s so common ’round these parts they just throw in a container of ranch with the box. Pineapple is delicious on a pizza, incidentally. And I save words by ordering what I want to drink. “I’ll have a Dr. Pepper please.”
carsick
Oh, and a sub is with cold cuts, a hoagie is hot. And, “Red Pop” was created by a Barq’s distributor in Southern Ohio who was looking to offer something different in the marketplace in comparison to his competitions’ Cream Soda. It was such a hit that Barq’s nationwide began coloring all their cream soda red. At least, that’s what I was told.
MNPundit
I say Soda, and am from the uppder-midwest. I had to train myself out of the native “pop.” Now I naturally call it soda without thinking about it.
Why?
1) It sounds dumb
2) It really pissed off this one guy I hung around with
Bill W.
Everyone here (B.F.Kansas) says “pop” and I think it sounds stupid. I laugh at every person who says it, every time. “Pop” is about as ridiculous sounding as “golly gee willikers” and should never have been repeated unless you are rehearsing a “Leave it to Beaver” script, imho.
For me, it’s “soda” or more often I refer to the brand I’m drinking.
Blue Raven
Grew up in MA. Soda, grinder, bubbler, and knowing the difference between a frappe and a milkshake (hint: the first one uses ice cream, the second does not unless you’re not a Yankee). Will never understand why Rhode Islanders insist on calling frappes cabinets.
And oh, grinders with oil and vinegar instead of mayo, ketchup does so go on hot dogs along with mustard and sweet relish, and WTF is it with California pizzas that the crust is so weird? I sincerely miss how a proper pizza would soften the cardboard box from all the olive oil on the crust.
passerby
Barq’s Cream Soda: Best red drink on the globe.
T
cleek
speaking of red soda… how many people have ever had a birch beer ? and, where are you from ?
Davis X. Machina
Ιn Southie we always washed down our spuckies with tonic.
passerby
Yes, I’ve had birch beer. Growing up in N.O. there was a hamburger chain known as Royal Castle. They served those great little square hamburgers like Krystal and White Castle, (known as sliders in some parts). They also served Birch beer, a cousin of root beer, in big tall glass root beer mugs. We’d sit at the counter.
My Dad used to take us on Saturday mornings when he was out doing errands.
Birch Beer–kind of wintergreeny.
T
Conservatively Liberal
No, YOU don’t put fruit on pizza. I do! And so do a lot of other people out west. You ain’t lived until you have had pepperoni, Canadian bacon, black olive and pineapple on a pizza. Mmmmmmm!
I think I got used to saying ‘soda’ because the neighborhood I grew up in Spokane had one of the last real soda shops in town (with real soda jerks!). My favorite drink there was the ‘graveyard’, which is a shot (or two) of every soda syrup and soda water to top it off.
Haven’t had one in years, but they were really good.
gypsy howell
WHAT? A hoagie is never ever EVER hot. EVER.
Good lord.
And by the way, only tourist places put cheez whiz on a cheesesteak.
protected static
Central MA: I grew up w/ soda, but many of my friends called it tonic. Grinder was far more common than sub, by a wide margin. Birch beer, sarsaparilla & Moxie were all pretty common until the late 70s/early 80s.
Oh, and the ‘shot of everything’ soda was called a suicide.
carsick
Birch Beer, the Beeman’s of soft drinks.
Also, in Ohio we still have what are called Pony Kegs. As in, “I’m going down to the pony keg, you need anything?”
They’re a place to get cold beer and soft drinks from singles to by the case. Of course, these days nearly every gas station sells beer and soft drinks but some ponykegs are still around.
cleek
Birch Beer, Teaberry gum, and Zero bars… three of my childhood favorites – can’t find em anywhere anymore.
The Moar You Know
Martin has made my head explode multiple times:
Now I finally, on a gut level, understand how the Civil War started. I will fight to the death for my inalienable right to put pineapple on my pepperoni pizza.
What are you, a Martian? You can put all kinds of stuff on the dog – mustard, ketchup, onions, chili, kraut. Just what do you have against ketchup, and have you ever been a member of the communist party?
This just confused me. Who puts cheese on apple pie? I mean, it sounds like it could work, I’ve just never heard of that before.
This made my head explode about eighty times. Regular coffee is black. What fucked-up part of this country do you live in?
/shakes head sadly…no fruit on pizza, jeez, what is this world coming to?
carsick
A cold steak or meatball hoagie doesn’t sound very appetizing. In Southern Ohio, hoagies are usually sold at Italian restaurants and pizza places. Hot, hot, hot. Meatloaf hoagies with tomato sauce. An Italian sub, on the other hand, usually has a variety of ham, salami and maybe a spicier salami or pepperoni. Served cold.
passerby
There are lots of uses for ketchup, but, it’s got no business being on a hotdog.
T
gypsy howell
Ummm…. then it’s not a hoagie. Not where I come from pard’ner. “Meatloaf hoagie?” Them’s fightin’ words.
cleek
lots of people. though i consider it an abomination.
carsick
gypsy howell
I think the point of the post is what does your region call sodapop. I’m pointing out what my region calls hoagies. You got a beef with it then talk to the etymological history of my region. I do laugh in the general direction of folks without a name for hot sandwiches other than “Cheese steak” or “hot sandwich”.
Fledermaus
I’m from Minneapolis and I did the same thing – until I moved to the west coast and now I’m back to pop – go figure. In other regional quirks in Wisconsin water fountains are ‘bubblers’ and ATMs are ‘time machines’
John O
Pop. IL.
Why don’t you just go to therealmccain.com? Lots of fun stuff there. Cliff Schecter has been documenting McCain’s crap for years.
loquacious mute
I guess like politics all softdrinks are local.
Grew up in Southern California, w/Michangander parents so all brands were “pop”.
But now as as a fully realized adult, not to mention being both a California and a San Francisco Liberal it’s all soda to me.
Original Lee
Cleek – Check out the Vermont Country Store website. I believe they sell Zero bars. Maybe also Teaberry gum.
Pop – from Michigan. The first time I heard someone refer to a soft drink as a soda was when I was in high school and a new student from NYC and I had to make up a shopping list for a bake sale our group was holding. She kept telling me, “Don’t forget the soda,” and I kept saying, “We have plenty of soda in the cupboard.”
New kid (wearily): “It’s not the right kind.”
Me (puzzled and a little irritated): “What kind do you want?”
New kid: “Diet Pepsi.”
Me (astonished): “Which recipe calls for Diet Pepsi?”
New kid: “No, I want to drink it.”
Me: “Um, so why do you keep saying you want soda?”
Advisor falls over laughing.
qkslvrwolf
@Punchy, agreed on the soda = carbonated water thing (I’m from Kansas), and I literally nearly fell out of my chair about the pizza vs pie thing.
@{whoever put up that map} Thank you! Thank you! That thing is amazing.
@Bill W: You’re wrong. And, I might add, a horrible person. I”m just saying.
As for golly gee willikers, rumsfeld says soda, so since he uses phrases like golly and gosh, it must be soda drinkers with an affection for dead and stupid phrases. QED.
@everyone: Sandwiches on long, narrow bread are subs. Period.
@The Moar you know: I think that’s a wisconsin thing.
@everyone: I’m from kansas, originally. I’ve lived in baltimore, the south, and st louis for all of my adult life, and I still say pop. I am a missionary of the True Word. And that word is pop.
Mwangangi
Grew up in Buffalo, NY and Harlem (Manhattan), NY. So in Buffalo it was “pop”, and in Harlem, it was “soda”. Pretty much everywhere around the Great Lakes called it “pop”. I call it soda.
It’s a sub, unless it has steak involved, then it’s a hoagie.
We always called them “water fountains”, not “drinking fountains”, because we never thought that people would have to differentiate in case someone was going to display water… why would you display water? Who would look at a water display when the (Niagara) Falls were right there?
No to ketchup (or catsup) on franks or winers; and am I the only one who still differentiates between the two (hot dog is the general term for both, but one is not the other).
Pineapples go in drinks, not on pizza.
Mwangangi
…that’s wieners. Dag nab it.
Original Lee
Cleek – Sorry, I just checked out the website, and they’ve taken down the chocolate and candy bars because they don’t ship them in hot weather. If you call them, though, they will tell you whether or not they do sell Zero bars and when they will start shipping them again.
Krista
Yeah, you’re just weird. I’m from the same damn region as you, and we always called it pop. Of course, if you are actually ordering something specific, you refer to it by name.
Krista
And cleek, we’ve got zero bars up here in N.S. Come visit!
marjowil
“pop” of course
(Detroit)
cleek
last time i was in N.S., a bee stung me in my ear. :) i was 3.
but, we’re planning on going to Montreal next month sometime. i will look there!
HyperIon
central fla (before disneyfication) but more importantly a child of crackers (ga & fla) so 1. “coke-cola” 2. cold drink
OriGuy
Grew up in southern Indiana (Bloomington); I called everything “coke”. That never really felt right. When I moved to northern California, I started using “soda”.
By the way, you can get Coca-Cola with sugar in it all year around here. It’s a Mexican import. You can get it at all the Hispanic groceries and panaderias. Costco even carries it sometimes.
I get a pizza with pepperoni and pineapple every once in a while.
sildan
In Colorado, soda seems most common, but you hear the others as well.
In defense of the apple pie + cheese thing: I use Granny Smiths for apple pie, and a slice of extra sharp cheddar (on the side, not on top) really brings out the tartness. I’m sure there are other ways to accomplish the same.
And if you’re having trouble accepting a little fruit on pizza, beware of Japanese pizza.
Glocksman
Here in Evansville, Indiana we call it ‘coke’.
As for McCain videos, I haven’t seen clips of him saying it, but he’s on record as favoring Roe back in 1999.
Notice that he’s his usual McMavericky self and in the same article is quoted as both supporting Roe and repealing it.
Glocksman
Here in Evansville, Indiana we call it ‘coke’.
As for McCain videos, I haven’t seen clips of him saying it, but he’s on record as favoring Roe back in 1999.
Story
Notice that he’s his usual McMavericky self and in the same article is quoted as both supporting Roe and repealing it.
Blue Raven
Now I remember the suicide Slush Puppy. No soda jerks by the time I was old enough to buy my own sugary drinks, but the Slush Puppy vendors were a close second for that sort of experience.
Bubblegum Tate
Grew up in Connecticut, called soda “coke” (because I learned that asking for a soda might result in something I didn’t like, such as Dr. Pepper) and called the sandwiches “subs.”
The sandwich exception was when it’s a hot meatball sandwich, in which case I called it a “meatball grinder,” but that’s largely because my favorite place to get one called it that, so I was just reciting what the menu said.
grumpy realist
Upstate New York; soda. College, Boston, which introduced me to “frappes” and don’t try ordering a milkshake there if you want ice cream in it.
Japanese pizza has and will have everything on it. I think the weirdest I ever had was the corn and cucumber….or maybe the eel (which was actually quite good.)
Be even more suspicious of Japanese sandwiches. I think the one that really threw me for a loop was the mashed-potato sandwiches….
susan
I had just moved to Georgia from Illinois and I asked a cashier where the pop machine was. She thought I said pot machine. In Illinois, we say pop. In Georgia, they call all soda, even sprite or moutain dew “a coke” Getting a coke, means getting anything to drink.
aimai
Here in New England I was brought up to call soft drinks “tonic”. I drink neither coke nor pepsi but on the few occasions I was allowed fanta as a child, or sprite, it was called “tonic.”
aimai