Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate—and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.

GUESTS: 
Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc. 
Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant
Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That’s What They Say podcast

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:


Online Submission Form


Call us: 734-764-7840


Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate&mdash;and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc.&nbsp;</li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant</li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That&rsquo;s What They Say podcast</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/on-hand/2025-08-14/submit-your-questions">Online Submission Form</a>
</li>
<li>
Call us: 734-764-7840
</li>
<li>
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
</li>
</ul>
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work:&nbsp;<a href="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund">michiganpublic.org/podfund</a>

Ever wondered why we call ourselves “Michiganders”? Or why we say “pop” instead of “soda”? Or, seriously, how many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year? That’s why we’re bringing you a new podcast - On Hand - to answer all your questions about what makes our state so special.

To share a story or submit your questions, head to michiganpublic.org/onhand

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

Ever wondered why we call ourselves &ldquo;Michiganders&rdquo;? Or why we say &ldquo;pop&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;soda&rdquo;? Or, seriously, how many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year? That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re bringing you a new podcast - On Hand - to answer all your questions about what makes our state so special.
To share a story or submit your questions, head to <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/on-hand">michiganpublic.org/onhand</a>
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider <a href="https://michiganpublic.org/podfund">supporting our work</a>: michiganpublic.org/podfund