Re: I refer to a non-specified carbonated beverage as a:

[hagen]

I'm from Australia too - I usually say "cool drink".

However I agree with mildside. I'd interpret "soft drink" as a more correct and formal expression you'd see in written language. "Cool drink" is more likely to be spoken e.g. "Hey, you wanna cool drink?"

hagen

[jepri]

I'd usually interpret "cold drink" as a beer, but I wouldn't be suprised if you handed me a soft drink. Actually, if you made any reference to a drink that I didn't understand, I'd interpret it as a beer.

Saying 'pop' in Canberra will get ridicule rather than a drink, and I always think of 'soda' as 'soda water' - carbonated water.

____________________
Jeremy
I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.

[hagen]

Yeah jepri, I agree about the soda water. IIRC the alcoholic Police Captain in Hill Street Blues way back used to drink soda water with his girlfriend (Veronica Hamil - can't remember his name) and he'd order a "club soda".

England and North America, divided by a common language 8-)

hagen

[Anonymous Monk]

what part of Australia? I'm from WA, ind I call it "cool drink" as well, so does most of my family, but all my mates call it different things I've always wondered if the term regional or just in some areas?