Regional things a student should know

[Sop14's Mom]

Wow, things have sure changed. 40 years ago, Minnesotans definitely said pop, not soda.

[noimagination]

Wow, things have sure changed. 40 years ago, Minnesotans definitely said pop, not soda.

They still do. Did you see the map on the last page?

[bclintonk]

Interesting on the soda-pop-coke map that Wisconsin seems to be primarily soda while the surrounding states--Minnesota, Iowa, northern Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, extending east into Ohio--are primarily pop.

[jaylynn]

It's strangely true, bclintonk! I grew up in Iowa, had cousins in Illinois and close family friends in MN, and then went to undergrad and med school in WI --- pop pop pop then soda!!

[Sop14's Mom]

I thought maybe I was misreading the map.

[ready2010]

Yep we say soda in California. But we also say soft drink about as often.

[Hat]

I'm in a region of Colorado where they supposedly say "coke". I've never heard anyone order a "coke" unless what they wanted was a "Coke". "Soda" rules around here.

[kathiep]

There's a little pink dot on both lower Delaware and South Jersey, meaning that "coke" is used there. I've lived in Delaware and have dozens of relatives in South Jersey and have never heard it referred to anything other then soda.

[zapfino]

In middle Tennessee, I often heard the term, "cold drink", pronounced as one word and referring to any of Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper.

[romanigypsyeyes]

I'm amused by the international map. I've never heard anyone say coke in the UK. Nor in Costa Rica. Panama, yes, they say coke.

[mspearl]

In Ohio it is pop. When I hear soda I think baking soda.

The city of Wooster (home to the college) is not pronounced likr WOOOOOSTER , it is pronounced kind of like (not quite) Worcester Mass. And if you pronounce it like Woooooster you will get corrected.

If you visit any city of Berlin in Ohio it is not pronounced like Berlin Germany, the emphasis is opposite - you will also get corrected very quickly.

I am not sure where this come from, but many people in my rural community in Ohio say "red up" if they need to clean. And at the very least you "clean up" never just clean.

Northern Ohio dialect is much different than southern Ohio. Cleveland has its own dialect I think.

If you are in Amish country please just pass the buggies when you have a chance instead of taking pictures or people will hate you.

If it is snowing, please do not slow down when you approach the hill and ice is always worse to drive in than snow.

[Hunt]

The discussion of regional hot dogs reminded me of this great book:

Amazon.com: 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places to Eat Them (9780547059075): Jane Stern, Michael Stern: Books

Definitely worth looking at if you're going on a road trip.

[maya54]

I'm not a strict parent but my kids know that they face severe consequences if they put ketchup on their hotdogs

[Momzie]

If heading South, make sure you understand that "bless your heart" is NOT a compliment. Southerners are kind of sneaky and sly when they're being mean, and us outsiders don't always get it. (For more info, watch "The Help").

[zapfino]

"I'm not a strict parent but my kids know that they face severe consequences if they put ketchup on their hotdogs."

I taught that rule to my daughter from an early age. Unfortunately, despite living in Chicago for many years, my wife never learned. When we're in Chicago, she has to order her own hotdog since I just can't bring myself to utter the words, "Give me a dog---ketchup only." It would just be too embarrassing.