What it means
Means a fizzy soft drink, especially in the North, where you’ll hear bottle of pop the way Americans say soda. It also doubles up as a handy verb meaning to go somewhere quickly or for a short errand, like I’ll pop to the shops. Dead simple, dead cosy, and weirdly versatile in everyday chat.
Usage examples
"I’m just popping to the shops, you want owt? Grab us a bottle of pop and some biccies, yeah. No kale, I beg."
"Fancy a bottle of pop with your chips? The corner shop's got the good cherryade in."
"I'll pop round after work, put the kettle on, I can only stay half an hour though."
"Can you pop to the offy and get a couple cans of pop before the match starts?"
"I just popped out for milk and somehow came back with pop, crisps, and a meal deal."
Where it comes from
For the drink, pop is onomatopoeic. It comes from the little popping sound a cork or cap makes when a fizzy bottle gets opened. That sense is old in British English and especially stuck in northern speech. The quick errand sense comes from the older verb pop meaning to move or go quickly for a moment.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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