Since its invention, carbonated, sweetened soft drinks have exploded in popularity. Sweet, fizzy and oh so quenching.

What’s not to like?

As Americans, we guzzle more than our share. The latest Gallup poll shows about half of us drink a soft drink daily. And those who do consume an average of two and a half bottles or cans a day.

We’re not the only ones with a hankering for these beverages. Hungary is thirsty for pop like no other country, slurping 310 liters of soda per person each year.

The U.S. ranks fourth, by the way.

But this isn’t a story about soft drinks. It’s about what we all call them and why.

So, pop a top, pour a can of bubbly over some ice and let’s get down to some serious soda pop semantics.

It’s The Real Thing

Look, we all know the average bottle of Coke contains

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