# Do you know what a church key is? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365 "2010-07-28T21:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/1 "2010-07-28T21:08:53Z")
One of my colleagues, who makes jewelry as a hobby, brought a number of pieces to work today, including one rectangular pendant. I commented that it looked somewhat like a church key, and she nodded. A much younger colleague gave us both a blank look. I hadn’t realized until then that the expression may not be in common use any longer now that pull-tabs and twist-off tops are widespread. So I’m wondering how many Dopers know what a church key is, and if there is an age divide (and possibly a geographical divide). As background, I grew up in rural western Ohio in the 50s and 60s. I remember hearing the term church key used for a bottle opener/can opener as far back as I can remember. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/2 "2010-07-28T21:12:46Z")
So…it’s not the key to a church? ::checks wiki page:: Oh! We call those bottle openers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/3 "2010-07-28T21:12:49Z")
Over 40 and I remember using one. Total PITA. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/4 "2010-07-28T21:13:15Z")
Yes. And seat belts and lighters made for some good substitutes! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/5 "2010-07-28T21:16:55Z")
Low-tech bottle/can-openers have been called church keys for as long as I can remember. I’m 56. (but [P-38s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-38_can_opener) are different) ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/6 "2010-07-28T21:19:51Z")
I know what a church key is and I’m a few years shy of 40. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/7 "2010-07-28T21:22:18Z")
Yes, but only because it was the subject of a thread in the past. I’ve never heard it used in real life. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/8 "2010-07-28T21:22:26Z")
[This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corned_beef-can_opener.jpg) is what I remember being called a church key, never saw a bottle opener that went by that term. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/9 "2010-07-28T21:26:06Z")
Yes, but I was over 40 the first time I ever heard the term. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/10 "2010-07-28T21:26:12Z")
I know what it is, but wouldn’t naturally use the term anymore. I grew up in rural north-central Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/11 "2010-07-28T21:34:37Z")
I didn’t hear the term “church key” applied to a bottle opener until maybe the '70s. I still have the P38 can opener I bought at a surplus store on Cape Cod in 1971. ETA: I am 56. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/12 "2010-07-28T21:36:33Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yes. And seat belts and lighters made for some good substitutes! Somehow we used to use the door striker plate on my 70’s-era Beetle for that too. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/13 "2010-07-28T21:37:09Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yes. And seat belts and lighters made for some good substitutes! As did our kitchen drawer handle, despite my father’s exhortations to the contrary. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/14 "2010-07-28T21:42:52Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Yes, but only because it was the subject of a thread in the past. I’ve never heard it used in real life. Ditto, but I quite like the expression. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/15 "2010-07-28T21:45:12Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corned_beef-can_opener.jpg) is what I remember being called a church key, never saw a bottle opener that went by that term. A church key is a tool that either had just a pointy can opener on it for opening old beer and soda cans, or had both a pointy opener and a flat opener for opening both cans and bottles. Like [these](http://www.rustycans.com/Graphics/definitions/churchkeys.jpg). I’ve never heard of a sardine can opener being called a church key. I’m 63. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/16 "2010-07-28T21:48:56Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Yes, but only because it was the subject of a thread in the past. I’ve never heard it used in real life. Could it have been [Church Keys](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408479) from 02-14-2007? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/17 "2010-07-28T21:52:03Z")
Yes, I do, but I learned it here from that thread. We always had them–I have one stuck to my fridge now–but I didn’t know that term. I always thought of it as a special kind of can-opener. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/18 "2010-07-28T21:52:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A church key is a tool that either had just a pointy can opener on it for opening old beer and soda cans, or had both a pointy opener and a flat opener for opening both cans and bottles. Like [these](http://www.rustycans.com/Graphics/definitions/churchkeys.jpg). > > I’ve never heard of a sardine can opener being called a church key. I’m 63. That was just a bottle or can opener depending on what needed opening. I guess it was just a family thing as to what was called what. I only remember using a sardine can opener/church key a few times in my youth. ETA:Grew up in California 60’s-70’s ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/19 "2010-07-28T22:03:21Z")
I’d heard the term but wiki says I had it all wrong. I’ve always called those bottle openers. I’ve used them before, though. I’m 24. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365/20 "2010-07-28T22:03:36Z")
I learned it the same as **Runner Pat**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-a-church-key-is/548365.md?page=2)