57. Soft Drinks

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

This episode traces the origins of soft drinks, many of which began life marketed as health remedies. We start with Joseph Priestley's discovery, which was crucial to the production of carbonated drinks. Learn how Coca-Cola got its name from its historic ingredients, and how Red Bull is a translation of a Thai beverage. The term seltzer traces back to a German region, while the terms pop and fizz have more straightforward, if not obvious, etymologies. We also explore how the names Lucozade, Vimto, Irn-Bru and Dasani came about.