Regional linguistics.

This QotD appeared back in July, when I wasn't paying as much attention to the internets.

Soda? Cola? Pop? What do you say? Any other regional words that set you apart?

I love surveys like these, and I also love websites like the Pop vs. Soda page and this handy Yank or Reb test (apparently, I'm more Yank than Reb, but I definitely answered several questions in a specficially Texan way).  To answer the question, I say "coke," which makes sense if you look at the predominance of red on the aforementioned Pop vs. Soda page.  I remember being shocked that Brandon also said "coke," since he was from Indiana, and "pop" was the predominant term among all the midwestern kids at Northwestern (including with students from areas you wouldn't necessarily consider the midwest, like my roommate from Denver and another friend from Pittsburgh).  However, as Brandon quickly explained, southern Indiana is nothing like central/northern Indiana, and is, in fact, far more similar to Kentucky.  Sure enough, most of his family members have far stronger southern accents than any of my high school summer camp friends from central and east Texas.  Here's a demonstration of how one should use the term "coke" when referring to a soft drink:

Waitress: What kind of coke would you like?

Diner: I'll have a Diet Dr. Pepper, thanks.

Dr. Pepper, of course, is the official "coke" of Texas, and according to the all-knowing wikipedia, it regularly outsells Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

I can think of a few words that are specific to Texas, in particular Houston and southeast Texas, which shares some vocabulary with Louisiana.  From the quiz I posted above: a long sandwich with lots of cold cuts and toppings is a po boy (you won't see it listed as anything else on menus in Cajun restaurants, I guarantee that); the tiny lobster-like crustacean that crawls around in creek ("crick," if you're really backwater) bottoms is a crawfish; the road that runs along an interstate highway, and in Houston, allows you to enter and exit the highway easily every few miles, is a feeder; and that bug that rolls into a ball when you touch it is a doodle bug.

And there you have it: Caroline's 5-minute guide to talkin' like a real Texan.  Have fun, and save me a Diet Dr. Pepper, y'all!