Does carbonated water = water?

[fangoriagurkel]

One party requested a bottle of water and was given a bottle of carbonated water. Are they interchangeable?

I don't know why the poll title was a choice, but kindly answer "yes" or "no". Thanks, all!

[kayl84]

I mean water is water, but I’m assuming when I ask for water that it isn’t fizzy. I wouldn’t turn it down, but they could be avoiding anything with carbonation/can’t have carbonated beverages.

[sessy]

To me no. I can’t stand carbonated water

[rupertpenny]

No, but I hate carbonated water. If I am somewhere where sparkling is the default I always ask especially for still or tap water. If I was just randomly given sparkling water in the US I would be very confused.

[sonrisa]

Context? I'm a guest at someone's house, they offer me a glass of water and come back with carbonated water? Of course. In other circumstances it might be odd.

[fangoriagurkel]

Jan 5, 2018 2:17:53 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Context? I'm a guest at someone's house, they offer me a glass of water and come back with carbonated water? Of course. In other circumstances it might be odd.

A friend and I stopped at a filling station. I went it to use the restroom and asked friend if they'd like anything while I was in the store. They asked for a water and I noticed that there was a special on carbonated water, so I purchased it. I distributed the goods and friend looked at me like I had 2 heads. 

[rupertpenny]

Jan 5, 2018 2:23:30 GMT -5 fangoriagurkel said:

Jan 5, 2018 2:17:53 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Context? I'm a guest at someone's house, they offer me a glass of water and come back with carbonated water? Of course. In other circumstances it might be odd.

A friend and I stopped at a filling station. I went it to use the restroom and asked friend if they'd like anything like I was in the store. They asked for a water and I noticed that there was a special on carbonated water, so I purchased it. I distributed the goods and friend looked at me like I had 2 heads. 

I see you are in Spain. Are you European? Is your friend European? If they are not European I definitely see where the confusion is coming from.

[alleinesein]

Not the same thing at all. Carbonated water has a very distinct mineral flavor to me and if I ask for water I want still water.

[Leeham Rimes]

To me it’s not the same, they definitely don’t taste the same. I don’t like carbonated water unless it’s flavored and even then, it’s not really thirst quenching for me like water. Plus I’d have to drink it quicker than I would a regular bottle of water bc it gets flat pretty quickly.

I mean, if I was handed carbonated water, I’d either go back in and get still water or drink it without facial commentary.

[wambam]

In this case, no. But if I were adding up how much water o had on a given day, I would include carbonated water.

[Captain Serious]

Jan 5, 2018 2:57:47 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

Jan 5, 2018 2:23:30 GMT -5 fangoriagurkel said:

A friend and I stopped at a filling station. I went it to use the restroom and asked friend if they'd like anything like I was in the store. They asked for a water and I noticed that there was a special on carbonated water, so I purchased it. I distributed the goods and friend looked at me like I had 2 heads. 

I see you are in Spain. Are you European? Is your friend European? If they are not European I definitely see where the confusion is coming from.

Agreed. When traveling, it's usually pretty easy to see where more people default to carbonated water (Europe, South America) by the amount of it available versus still water.

When traveling to those places, I am always sure to specifically ask for still water when I order it, because I really do not like carbonated. The carbonation really affects me, and prevents me from drinking it as quickly enough to quench my thirst. I realize this often gets me strange looks from people in those places, to whom *water" is carbonated. It's just their default, it seems.

Side story: growing up, my family members in Germany would tell me I'd get bugs in my stomach from drinking tap water. It was perfectly safe, I did it all the time (visited every summer), but they believed it because their parents and grandparents told them that, from the era before it was purified.

[iamgrace]

If I asked for a bottle of water, I'd expect to get plain still water. If I asked for sparkling water, well then I would expect what you bought your friend.

[calmcosmo]

Special snowflake?

To me sparkling water like Pellegrino (no added sugar or flavor) is water. Full stop.

That said, if someone asked me for water I wouldn’t bring them Pellegrino unless I knew that’s what they preferred or I clarified that they were okay with sparkling. When someone asks me for a bottle of water or a glass of water I assume they mean still.

[snipsnsnails]

When not specified, still water is my default

[knx9211]

I would think it was very odd if I asked for water and you brought me back carbonated. I like sparkling water. But it doesn’t quench my thirst. I’d go back inside and get regular water and be annoyed.

[Deleted]

Are you by chance in Europe? I know that sparkling/carbonated water is more commonplace there. That said, here, and for me personally, if I asked for water, it is assumed that I asking for still/tap/spring water and I'd be very put off if someone gave me carbonated water. Andplusalso, I hate carbonated water, so that could be impacting my opinion.

[pandorica]

I would expect still water, and would be super confused if I got carbonated. Also I would go back in to get still water because I don't like carbonated water.

[NewGirlNic]

I love sparkling water and prefer it over still. However, I know a lot of people who don't (DH, DS and my bff all think it's gross). So, if this happened to me, I'd be fine... but if someone asked me to get them a bottle of water I would get regular still water.

[fivechickens]

I love carbonated water and usually have some in the house. When I have guests and they ask for water I give them regular water.

[isabel]

I like carbonated water, but would be annoyed if I asked for water and received carbonated.

If I ask for water, I’m expecting still. When I want sparkling, I specifically ask for that.

[Jalapeñomel]

In the US, not the same.

But I think seltzer is a relatively new phenomena. Although, I hardly ever drink still water anymore.

[keh2oblue]

I'm a la croix addict, but if I asked for water, I would expect it with no bubbles.

[BaliHai]

I mean technically it's the same thing, but if I had asked for a bottle of water, I would have expected a bottle of still water. I wouldn't have, like, thrown the carbonated water at you or anything, but looking at you like you have two heads sounds about right.

[agnes]

When we went to Europe, yes, it was interchangeable.

Here, no, I would expect a plain ol' water with no bubbles.

[birdistheword]

No. They taste completely different.

[cabbagecabbage]

If a friend asked me to grab a coffee and I brought an iced coffee, it would be the same: most people who like one would like the other but not all and I don’t feel they’re freely interchangeable. I love sparkling water personally but it seems very divided between love and hate.

[pantsparty]

Jan 5, 2018 2:23:30 GMT -5 fangoriagurkel said:

Jan 5, 2018 2:17:53 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Context? I'm a guest at someone's house, they offer me a glass of water and come back with carbonated water? Of course. In other circumstances it might be odd.

A friend and I stopped at a filling station. I went it to use the restroom and asked friend if they'd like anything while I was in the store. They asked for a water and I noticed that there was a special on carbonated water, so I purchased it. I distributed the goods and friend looked at me like I had 2 heads. 

The default for water is just water. I don't find carbonated water to be thirst-quenching, so yes, I'd be annoyed.

[ECB]

Yup - basically "ditto". They are both water but they are different. DH loves seltzer, I don;t. I just don't like bubbly water. if it's the only thing to drink, sure, I'll drink it. But it's absolutely not what I would choose.

[laurack]

Yes it would be odd to ask for a glass or bottle of water and receive sparkling. I wouldn't mind as I like both but I do find when I'm really thirsty I really just want flat water as I can drink it faster.

[emilyinchile]

I live somewhere where sparkling water is very common, and I wouldn't have done what you did/would have looked at you like you had two heads. Because sparkling is common, I would clarify whether my friend wanted that or still, but I don't treat them interchangeably.