co-cola
Coca-Cola said the Southern way, and sometimes any cold soda.
Also called cocola, co'cola, Coke.
Updated September 21, 2026
co-cola pronunciation
/koh-KOH-luh/
Meaning
Co-cola is how a lot of older Southerners say Coca-Cola, stress on the middle. In coke country it can also mean soft drinks in general, so "What kind of co-cola you want?" might get answered Pepsi, Dr Pepper, or RC. Younger folks lean harder on plain Coke, but the sound still lives at cookouts and country stores.
How folks use it
- “Grab me a co-cola out of the ice chest, would you?”
- “What kind of co-cola y'all got? I don't care long as it's cold.”
Origin and etymology
Southern pronunciation of the brand name, attested in dialect notes from places like Mississippi, Kentucky, and North Carolina through the 1900s. Dialect writers spell it co-cola, cocola, or co'cola. It rides with the wider Southern habit of using Coke as the umbrella word for soda.
Frequently asked questions
Does co-cola only mean Coca-Cola?
Often it means the real thing. In parts of the South it can mean any fizzy drink, same as calling all sodas Coke.