churchkey

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eberntson
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churchkey

Postby eberntson » Mon Apr 11, 2016 1:31 pm

n.

A bottle open, especial to open bottle capped with "crown cork" caps.

Websters doesn't have any reference to this name before the 1950's. Which seem strange since the bottle cap was invented in the 1890s. The wide spread use of this term in English is attributed the the jocularity factor, because open beer bottles is not the most pious activity. Also, the looped bottle opener does resemble a church key in shape. Originally probably only referred to the looped bottle cap opener, but now ubiquitous with all bottle openers. I have even heard it used to refer to can openers.

I remember seeing old old churchkeys in drawers and rummage sales in the 70s. And some had very old branding on them, so I'm not convinced in Websters timeline, but alas they are refering to the name churchkey, not the gizmo.
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Stargzer
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Re: churchkey

Postby Stargzer » Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:02 pm

Not only bottle openers in the pre-twist-top days, but also beer can openers in the pre-pop-top days (and remember, there were two versions of pop-tops -- the first was a tab one pulled off that was either thrown out (to the detriment of aluminum recycling, used for a fishing lure, or, most popular, connected together to form massively long chains. (I seem to remember that there was an ancient Internet Legend that a child asked for tabs to be sent in to pay for cancer research.)

For cans there was a sharp triangular end with another piece that grabbed the rim of the can for leverage so you could lift the opener and pierce the can lid and put a triangular hole in the top to drink through. You also had to put a hole on the other side of the lid to allow air in. One variant opener was a longer version that you pried down on the opener, which had a small punch on the lever handle so that you could punch a drinking hole and a vent hole in one motion. Not a church key, but a variant opener.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


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