Local Dialects: Soda or Pop? Sneakers or Tennis Shoes?

Do you put icing or frosting on a cake?

Based on research by Joshua Katz at North Carolina State University, here’s a round-up of what people in the Towson area and the surrounding communities say:

Term Options Percentages Soda or pop?  Soda 78 percent Pop 7.6 Coke 9.6 Soft drink 4.8 Frosting or icing? Frosting 19.2 percent Icing 33.1 Both 33.4 They are distinct items (icing is thinner) 14.3 Water fountain or drinking fountain? Water fountain 82.7 percent Drinking fountain 15.7 Bubbler 1.7 Rubber-soled shoes for athletic activities are called...  Sneakers 42 percent Tennis shoes 50.5 Gym shoes 2.9 Other 4.6 What do you call groups of two or more people? You guys 40.9 percent You 22.6 Y'all 18.4 You all 18.1

You can look up many more regional dialect survey results here about what you might call dust bunnies, milkshakes, "you guys versus y'all" and more.