On 22 May 2003 at 9:45, Dave Massey wrote:
> Check out
> http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-chu2.htm
I respectfully disagree with, or at least question, the origin of
"churchkey" (or "church key") as given in that website. I wouldn't
have been paying much attention in 1951 but from my limited
experience the term was applied because of the prevalence for opening
beer or Coke (a.k.a. "Cocola") bottles at church picnics. Beer cans
were possible then too, but the predominant use of the pointy end was
to open oil cans.
I remember back when softdrinks didn't come in cans, but I don't
recall non-poptab softdrink cans. Seems to me that the invention of
the poptab was what made the softdrink companies think they could
sell the idea of cans to the public.
--
Jim Muller
jimmuller@pop.rcn.com
'80 Spitfire, '70 GT6+
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