Water Fountain vs Drinking Fountain vs Bubbler
It is the public spout you bend over to take a drink — and most of America calls it a "water fountain." But a big stretch of the country says "drinking fountain," and two pockets — Wisconsin, and eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island — call it a "bubbler." Few regional words surprise outsiders as much as bubbler, which is exactly why this one comes up so often.
Water fountain
the South + much of the USThe most common term nationwide, especially across the South and the East. If you did not grow up in the Upper Midwest or eastern New England, this is almost certainly your word.
the South, the East, much of the country
Drinking fountain
the West + Upper MidwestThe preferred term across the West and parts of the Upper Midwest — and the more literal one, since the thing is for drinking, not decoration.
the West Coast, the Upper Midwest
Bubbler
Wisconsin + eastern New EnglandThe famous local word — used in Wisconsin and, separately, in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "Get a drink at the bubbler" sounds completely normal there and baffling almost everywhere else.
Wisconsin, eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island
See the full entry for “bubbler” →WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
The "bubbler" story is part trademark, part folklore. The Kohler Company of Wisconsin sold a "Bubbler" drinking fixture in the early 1900s, which helped cement the word in Wisconsin; eastern New England arrived at the same term on its own. The result is two non-adjacent bubbler islands in a sea of "water fountain" — a favorite example for dialect geographers.
A side note: a "water fountain" can also mean an ornamental fountain, which is why some regions prefer "drinking fountain" to be unambiguous. In bubbler country, no such confusion exists.
FAQ
What is a bubbler?
A "bubbler" is a drinking fountain — the public spout you drink from. The word is used in Wisconsin and, separately, in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island; most of the country says "water fountain."
Why do people in Wisconsin say bubbler?
Partly thanks to the Kohler Company, which sold a "Bubbler" drinking fixture in early-1900s Wisconsin. The brand name stuck as the everyday word for any drinking fountain.
Is it water fountain or drinking fountain?
Both are correct and regional. "Water fountain" is the most common term nationally; "drinking fountain" is preferred in the West and Upper Midwest and avoids confusion with ornamental fountains.