English poet Robert Southey in 1812 wrote in a letter, “because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn, and pop you would go off too, if you drank too much of it.” This was before “soda” was placed in bottles and poured out of soda fountains. “Pop” was all about the sound—and Chicago, if nothing else, is a city rooted in and identified by sound, from music to gunshots, which is why we, more than most other major cities in the country, stay true to the word that defines the spirit. (Scoop Jackson)
