Where did the phrase church-key bottle opener get its start?
In any event, I have read that can and bottle openers are called “church keys” because of their resemblance to key that the clergy carry or carried around with them. Take a look at a can opener, then take a look at a key. Judge for yourself how much resemblance there is. It is much easier for me to believe that the term “church key” comes from something that sounds similar (“tchotchke”) than from something it is said to resemble, but does not.
