How did a ‘health drink’ from the early 1800s spawn so many names and variations? An expert in American dialects explains.

The classic soda fountain is the quintessential American dining experience, and no one does it better than those who have ...

Few American linguistic debates have bubbled quite as long and effervescently as the one over whether a generic soft drink should be called a soda, pop or coke.

Do you call it pop, soda or coke? ... An 1878 engraving of a soda fountain. Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images. The process of carbonating water was first discovered in the late 1700s.

Do you call it pop, soda or coke? ... An 1878 engraving of a soda fountain. Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images. The process of carbonating water was first discovered in the late 1700s.

Do you call it pop, soda or coke? ... An 1878 engraving of a soda fountain. Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images. The process of carbonating water was first discovered in the late 1700s.