Coke or Soda?

This is going to be a short blog. I have an online author seminar to attend.
The other day, I had normal Coca-Cola for the first time in my life. I'd had Cherry Coke once, when my family and I were locked out of our cousin Chip's cabin and it was the only thing we had to drink. I enjoy noncaffeinated sodas from time to time, mainly Sprite and root beer, and I've been known to enjoy the occasional Dr. Pepper now that I'm old enough to make stupid decisions for myself. But, until we had an expired Coke at work that was given to the crew, I'd never had original Coca-Cola.
I'm a novelty at work; I'll admit that. Having been homeschooled for ten years, I'm a lot more innocent than most people. I don't swear, I play with bubbles, and I love poking my head out the drive-through window and watching the sun set. And, to be honest, I enjoy it when people look at me like I'm some sort of cute alien.
"I've never had Coke before," I told everyone as I poured a bit into a plastic give-away cup.
"Are you serious?" everyone asked. "You've never had a coke before?"
"Not an original one."
I took a few sips and threw the rest away. It was weird.
But it wasn't until a few days later that I learned that, in Texas, "coke" means "soda." Not "Coca-Cola" specifically, but "soda" in general. I was raised in Illinois, where we called it "soda" or, occasionally, "pop."

Something similar happened when I was reading Prince Caspian for the first time. Edmund mentioned a "torch" he'd gotten for Christmas, and I didn't realize until later that he was talking about a flashlight.
I'm just curious as to what name you ascribe to carbonated beverages. Let me know in the comments below, and we'll see if we can't get things sorted out. God bless you, dear readers, and don't forget to Like us on Facebook!