Pop

Pop, not to be confused with "soda" or "a coke", is what is commonly known to many Rochester, New Yorkers for a ice cold carbonated beverage.

Rochester is on the eastern front on the soda/pop line. Points east and south of Rochester refer to pop as some strange four letter s-word while our friends to the north and west correctly call a can of pop by its proper name.

For a beautiful map, please refer to http://www.popvssoda.com

Comments:

Note: You must be logged in to add comments

2006-05-24 17:48:21   Booooooo. I was born in raised in Boston. Despite my love of Rochester, I will NEVER refer to soda as "pop" and will be tempted to smack anyone who does so in my presence!! —RachelBlumenthal

2006-05-24 19:00:33   As a native from NYC, I agree!!! Only stupid people refer to it as pop. Even what it is derived from, "Soda-pop" had it #2. Strive to be #1, say Soda —Roc4Life

2006-05-25 12:19:27   Pop is the One True Name for carbonated sweet drinks. You philistines should go back into your caves and cover the paintings of man slaying mammoth with the words "Pop, not Soda". Thank you. —RottenChester

2006-06-06 23:38:16   Wegmans splits the difference and labels the aisles Soda Pop —DaveMahon

2006-06-07 22:34:40   I think Wegmans actually goes further and labels the aisles based on where the store is. West Side is "Pop", East is "Soda," or at least it used to be. —JackCalcines

2006-06-08 08:55:14   Looking at the pop vs. soda map, I'd say places of enlightenment and good taste seem to call it soda. Benighted uncultured farmers from the midwest refer to it as pop. From this day forward I will only call it soda. Thanks for the link! —CedrickStanton

2006-06-08 12:53:21   Well, residents of Yuma, AZ, hardly the locus of Western culture, call it "soda", as do those who dwell in Barstow, CA, original home of Hell's Angels. So much for "enlightenment and good taste". —RottenChester

2006-06-16 16:18:17   Okay, so you can point out two examples of backwards places calling it soda. I'm surprised you didn't cite New Jersey, actually. The "pop" part of the country is pretty weak. The Pacific Northwest is the cultural high point of the pop part the map. Seattle's nice, but it's no Boston, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco. Nope. Soda is for cultured people. Pop drinkers plow the fields and feed hogs. —CedrickStanton

2006-09-18 14:40:37   Huh, I’m actually surprised to see this subject get its own page. I never knew it was an issue of any sort. I'm from Rochester and have lived here most of my life but have never called it "Pop" and don't think I know anyone who does. I didn't even know we were supposed to be a "Pop" town. It’s always been "Soda" to me. Now I’m curious and will have to pay more attention to which word people say. It could very well be that I’ve heard both all along but never really noticed. —ZedOmega

2006-09-18 20:48:39   At least we hillbillies don't call it coke. (“Now, squeal like a pig!”) —JohnLam

2014-04-11 17:24:43   Born and lived all my life in rochester. Growing up I always called it pop...I am sure those old wegmans commercials for their brand of soda had something to do with it ;) WPOP...its DYNOMITE! but yea then going over some friends houses..their fam always called it soda...at first as i was confused..but then it grew on me. Then as i got older I just started calling every carbinated bev. Coke...like ppl from the south call it. It just made sense to me...coke is my fav brand/ drink. —justinm