Tab: Classic or Dud?

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As in the 1980s, pink-canned soft drink. Having been raised by diabetics, this drink ruled my childhood, and I continue to seek it out despite the fact that it is seemingly becoming more difficult to locate. Recently came into a cache. Love that battery acid feeling! I guess that's what the call "sass"!

Your take?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:08 (twenty-two years ago)

a google image search for 'tab' has one curious result

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:11 (twenty-two years ago)

eww

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:11 (twenty-two years ago)

it's also like the drink favored by 4 out of 5 yentas

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:12 (twenty-two years ago)

wtf is Tab anyway? I've never actually drank it in my life; I don't like soft drinks much to begin with and my parents really didn't purchase them and certainly not drinks containing ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER since my mom is convinced it gives you prostate cancer or something. It's like diet Coke isn't it?

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

YEAH EISBAR EWWWWWW A NICE THICK BLACK WOMAN IN SWIMWEAR EWWWWW GROSS

― LC, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, but it is SO much better/worse.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www1.umn.edu/eoh/saccharin/tabcan.gif Little visual aid, there. I so admire the way they have NEVER changed their packaging/logo.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

OK I get a LOT of pictures for "tab" and it includes this:

http://www.charliecrow.co.uk/images/galleryimages/wolf%20tab.jpg

WHICH IS NOT A WOMAN IN A SWIMSUIT YOU LYING CHEATS.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I came THIS CLOSE ( || ) to posting that picture just now.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

THAT pic deserves an OMGWTF

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:20 (twenty-two years ago)

i was more intrigued by the two figures in teabag position, one with his hands on his legs, the other holding a steering wheel.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

as does that last oops! post

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Tab was one of the worst beverages I've ever tasted.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:22 (twenty-two years ago)

http://sanguine.myrmid.net/gallery/comp/tab-dance.gif

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

ALLY. You are reading my mind. Most disappointing xpost EVAR

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Tab mmmmm Invisible Coke!

― Kelly, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Crystal Pepsi?

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

have you ever had sweet 'n' lo, ally?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:31 (twenty-two years ago)

not until after I was out of my parents house. I don't like it though.

― Allyzay, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i think that it's sweet 'n lo that's in tab. or something saccharine. whatever it is, they put a LOT of it in tab and that's why it tastes so awful.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Or...so DELICIOUS!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

It imbues the beverage with a vague immorality and makes the drinker feel just that little bit self-destructive! = classic!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Part of me wants to think that Tab is the most vile carbonated beverage out there because of the strong saccharine-ish taste it has. But the other part of me remembers that on occasion I have quite enjoyed Tab and that maybe these days I might actually really enjoy it because of my newfound appreciation for Sweet & Low.

Oh yeah, and my mother was a diabetic so I did the diet sodas thing as a child, too. I don't really remember ever having a "regular" soda.

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

It's also a great mixer.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

My favorite diet carbonated beverage, FYI -- Diet Coke with Lime. Mmmmm.

Tab, a mixer?! I'm a total non-drinker so anything that I'd have to have as a mixer would have to be so overpowering and so appealing that I'd barely be able to taste the alcoholic content in the drink.

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 05:43 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Tab is older than Diet Coke!

― roxymuzak, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 07:02 (eighteen years ago)

i remember the launch of Tab Clear in the UK. I can't remember *when* it happened though (I'm guessing about 1990). The advert had an annoying voiceover that had the line "Suddenly everything is clear".

― Grandpont Genie, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.tabhunter.com/images/autographs/14.jpg

― snoball, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 11:26 (eighteen years ago)

he wants you to be in good shape

― warmsherry, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:12 (eighteen years ago)

I enjoy the taste of "Tab Energy". Not sure how to describe the flavor.

― warmsherry, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

guyz don't forget the first diet soda of them all - diet rite!! from r.c.

http://www.buyasafe.com/photos/51004C-1.jpg

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago)

unfortunately now known as "diet rite pure zero" ugh

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:19 (eighteen years ago)

1984 TaB Commercial with Jayne Kennedy

― warmsherry, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago)

he REALLY wants you to be in good shape

― warmsherry, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:31 (eighteen years ago)

According to the Coca-Cola Web page, the beverage is called TaB because it helps people who keep tabs on what they consume. According to an Atlanta Magazine article published in May 1963, Coca-Cola's marketing research department used its IBM 1401 computer to generate a list of over 250,000 four-letter words with one vowel, adding names suggested by the company's own staff. The list was stripped of any words deemed unpronounceable or too similar to existing trademarks. From a final list of about twenty names, "TABB" was chosen, influenced by the possible play on words, and shortened to "TAB" during development, and designer Sid Dickens gave the name its familiar capitalization pattern ("TaB") in the logo he designed.

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:33 (eighteen years ago)

used its IBM 1401 computer to generate a list of over 250,000 four-letter words with one vowel,

"drink Piss cola!"

― snoball, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:48 (eighteen years ago)

wasn't this a beautiful drink for beautiful people?

― The Real Dirty Vicar, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

I love TAB. When I was a kid, it was the only kind of soda we had in our house. Even now I always by it when I see it which isn't that often anymore.

Also, my husbands claims that they only had TAB Clear in the UK and not regular TAB whereas we never had clear TAB here. Strange.

― ENBB, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 17:54 (eighteen years ago)

Erm, since I only have one, that should have said "husband".

― ENBB, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

he's telling the truth - we only had TAB Clear, and then only briefly.

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 13:26 (eighteen years ago)

Weird!

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago)

I remember that we did have regular TAB in the UK, but only for a short time, in the mid 1980's. Maybe it was a south of England trial thing only. Then TAB Clear came later on for a very short time. Wasn't that the one with the TV commercial where some guy in a hazmat suit is drinking it through a straw? Anyway, neither Regular nor Clear took off, perhaps because in the UK we already have enough soft drinks that taste of chemicals: Tizer, Lilt, Quatro, etc..

― snoball, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

my sister kelly has an article on smithsonian.com about tab!!

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/05/inviting-writing-addicted-to-tab/

― roxymuzak, Monday, 2 May 2011 14:50 (fourteen years ago)

― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Monday, 2 May 2011 14:56 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwQJdHLlSdk

― tokyo rosemary, Monday, 2 May 2011 22:50 (fourteen years ago)

nine years pass...

I had no use for you anyway but RIP.

― Here Comes a Slightly Irregular (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 October 2020 01:58 (five years ago)

Oh, is it finally gone? RIP.

― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Sunday, 18 October 2020 02:09 (five years ago)

roxymuzak’s sister’s article is good.

― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Sunday, 18 October 2020 02:09 (five years ago)

Didn’t read yet, but was intrigued

― Here Comes a Slightly Irregular (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 October 2020 02:12 (five years ago)

I was initially impressed by the fact the link still worked, then I read it and was like wow, this actually makes me want to drink tab.

― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Sunday, 18 October 2020 02:54 (five years ago)

It's good that their are still other Diet Sodas out there that overweight people can drink if they want 2 loose weight.

― the burrito that defined a generation, Sunday, 18 October 2020 03:02 (five years ago)

We nerds here on ol' ilx0r.com like The Simpson's, right? well here's a funny .GIF image of Homer Simpson that is related to TAB brand soda that I'd like to share with you all! LOL

https://i.imgur.com/Q4PDMum.gif

btw it's funny because TAB, not because of Homer's obesity (which is not funny)

― the burrito that defined a generation, Sunday, 18 October 2020 03:07 (five years ago)

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