Where did the words go?

  When I was a kid, and my family went somewhere (other than church), if they had hot dogs we were asked if we wanted tonic.  The answer was always yes.  I loved tonic, the green one and the birch beer were my favorites.  Tonic was the word for what is now known as soda.  Where did that word go?
  When I was a new baby my mother took me to a neighbors house (there weren't many), the neighbor remarked that I was cunning, but so homely I was cute.  Cunning and cute used to be the same thing. Where did that word go?
  My dad would tell me to "go get a wheelbarrow full of pine sprills", he was referring to pine needles, they used to be sprills.  Where did that word go?  A lot of Maine words no longer exist, words like going down cellar, or "get me an elastic!" (rubber band) aren't used.
  I guess the loss of locale is nationwide now; do they still put your groceries in a sack down south, or a poke?  Probably not, local store have been replaced by national or regional chains, people move away, or people from away move here, or there and language goes, or comes, with them.
  It's too bad that things like that leave us, homoganized maybe but we're still here.

How come that one County in North Dakota is separate? (click to enlarge)

A Maine invention, but now it's owned by a company in New York, but we still drink it!

  Okay then.  I guess I'll see ya tomorrow Mr. Man.