Would You Like A “Soda” or a “Pop”? Depends on Which Part of Idaho You’re In

I've always been fascinated by how regional American English is, and apparently others are too. A researcher at North Carolina State University has mapped how diverse our accents really are.

The diversity is impressive.

One of my closest friends lives in Louisiana and works in radio like I do. When she voices something for me, she has a flawless "Hollywood Accent" (you know, the accent people in movies and on TV have--yes, you have an accent) but when I have a conversation with her sometimes I need a translator because her southern accent is so thick.

And it's not just our accents that differ from area to area, but the words and phrases that we use to describe common things are extremely regional as well. According to a study conducted by North Carolina State University if you're in Northern Idaho you'll be enjoying a nice, cool "pop," while in Southern Idaho it's an ice-cold "soda."

But no matter what it is, if you're in the South it's called a "coke." Weird.

Business Insider has published 22 more of these interesting accent maps and the findings are fascinating, but sometimes strange. It's definitely worth checking out.

[Via Business Insider]