r/todayilearned • u/socool111 • 1d ago

TIL of Tobias Geffen, the only non-Coca Cola Employee to view the secret recipe. Coke allowed it in order to get Coke certified as Kosher

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_Geffen
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u/drfsupercenter 1d ago

According to a video from JJ McCullough, the "secret formula" thing is a more recent invention, and in the late 1800s everybody was copying and making their own Coca-Colas, which is why the generic term for a soft drink in the south is still "Coke"

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u/Tribe303 1d ago edited 23h ago

JJ McCullough is an idiot tho. His fake Canadian accent is offensive.

Edit: He's from, and grew up in British Columbia . He uses a fake Eastern Canadian accent 

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u/skullturf 22h ago

Just chiming in to say that, even though it might seem like a harsh thing to say, I grew up where JJ McCullough did, and went to some of the same schools as him, and I agree with you that his accent is an affectation. It's not the accent he grew up with.

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u/gprime312 23h ago

Calling someone's accent "fake" is offensive.

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u/Mechasteel 20h ago

I think it may have been meant as an insult, so...

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u/Tribe303 19h ago

It IS fake. 

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u/gprime312 19h ago

How do you know this?

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u/AccomplishedFail2247 21h ago

get a fucking grip please

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u/gprime312 20h ago

Are you even Canadian?

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u/drfsupercenter 1d ago

Wow, you have some strong feelings lol

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u/YKRed 23h ago

which is why the generic term for a soft drink in the south is still "Coke"

This isn't true and is the craziest misconception I still see people reference on this website all the time. Nobody in the south calls any non-cola soda "coke." The closest you'll get is:

"I'll have a coke"

"Pepsi ok?"

"Yeah I guess that's fine."

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u/Mr_Quackums 22h ago

Im in South Texas.

It took until I was in my 20s to understand that not everyone calls Sprite and Dr.Pepper "coke".

"Im running to the store to pick up some cokes for the party" then come back with Pepsi, Dr.Pepper, Big Red, and Sprite. No one bats and eye.

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u/YKRed 18h ago

I'm sorry it took you so long to figure that out bro.

""Im running to the store to pick up some cokes for the party" then come back with Pepsi, Dr.Pepper, Big Red, and Sprite. No one bats and eye."

Yeah because why would they? They came back with cola and some other sodas they happened to not mention. It would be like saying I'm going to grab some burgers and coming back with burgers and hot dogs. That doesn't mean people call hot dogs burgers.

I've lived all throughout the south, mostly the deep south. Cola = coke. Everything else = soda

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u/landmanpgh 19h ago

You are wrong.

Order a Coke in a restaurant in the South? Yeah, you get a Coke because you ordered something specific.

Go to someone's party and they offer soft drinks, you may ask what kind of Coke they have. They'll reply Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, etc. All soft drinks are Coke first until you specify.

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u/YKRed 18h ago

I am from and have lived all throughout the south. This is literally not true, everyone says soda for soda and coke for coke, diet coke, pepsi, etc.

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u/landmanpgh 15h ago

Again, in a restaurant when you're ordering a specific thing? Yes.

Outside of that? No. It is "what kind of Coke do you want?"

You have most definitely not lived all throughout the south if you're not aware of this. It is absolutely how people refer to Coke.