Something Southern: Do You Want A Coke?

One of our little quirks down here in the Deep South is our habit of using a particular brand name for something as the generic name for all things in that category.  All tissue is Kleenex.  All weed whackers are Weedeaters.  The one that is, perhaps, the most perplexing to non-Southerners is the fact that all non-alcoholic carbonated beverages are Coke.  Never soda.  And sure as heck never pop.

Do you want a Coke?

Sure.

What kind?  We’ve got Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper…

It is important to note that down here, we are all about Coke products, not Pepsi.  And you haven’t lived until you’ve had a Classic Coke from a glass bottle–with salted peanuts dropped in.  It’s a thing.  Trust me on this.

We’ve got a soft spot for Coke in our family, as my great granddaddy owned a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the Mississippi Delta forever ago.  My favorite story my mom tells about it is how one of my great uncles fell into the vat of grape soda as a kid.  He was purple for a month!  That mental image always gives me a fabulous belly laugh.

Have you had your Coke today?

3 thoughts on “Something Southern: Do You Want A Coke?

  1. Yep, we call everything Coke. It’s a thing. We actually have a Coca Cola bottling plant right here in town. And my mom used to love peanuts in her Coke.

    I’m picturing a purple kid right now.

    Yes, I’ve had my Diet Coke today. It’s my go to beverage when I walk on the treadmill in the mornings. 🙂

  2. Corn syrup and I get along very badly, so I’ll get the Mexican version of Coke or Pepsi when I want one. The Mexican Coca-Cola is delicious (though I’ve heard the actual in-Mexico version of it has switched to corn syrup). I prefer ginger ale, though.

    I’m also from Ohio, so my family laughs over “Coke” being used as a generic and uses “soda”, “pop”, or “soda pop”.

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