Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 15:56:25 -0400

From: "Dale F.Coye" CoyeCFAT[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: Student Q: pop/soda/coke/cola



Lynne writes:



dale sayeth:



There is a boundary somewhere west of Buffalo, New York where "pop"

ends

in favor of soda.



this confuses me, since i lived places east and west of buffalo

(newark, new york and central illinois) where "pop" was used.







I meant that there is a word boundary somewhere to the west of Buffalo,

perhaps near Rochester, running north and south. West of this boundary, ie.

in Buffalo, (and I take it from Lynne's comment, Newark,NY which though east

of Buffalo, is still west of the boundary) and covering most of the midwest,

people say pop. East of this boundary, ie. Syracuse and points east, they

might say soda or soft drink, but never pop, which sounds rather quaint to

them (i.e., me), like something from a 30s movie staring Mickey Rooney. I

wish someone would study this issue in detail, pinpointing the boundary and

also querying people on their reaction to the word not used.



Dale Coye

Princeton