Why was the beer bottle opener called a church key?

The term "church key" for a bottle opener comes from the shape of the opener, which resembles the key to a church door.

Here's the breakdown:

* Early bottle openers: Before the modern, flat, wing-shaped openers, the most common bottle openers were metal pieces with a pointed end and a lever.

* Resemblance: This shape, especially when seen from the side, bears a striking resemblance to the traditional keys used for church doors, which often had a pointed end for inserting into the lock and a lever for turning.

* Nickname: People started calling these bottle openers "church keys" due to this visual similarity.

The term "church key" is mainly associated with the older, pointed bottle openers, while modern openers are more commonly referred to as "bottle openers" or "wing openers".