USA slang
 

Heard this last night on a Quiz show , "What is a Church Key" in USA slang
Intriguing answer
Oz

I used to have one or more, then they changed the contained design and I didn't need them anymore.

Portable combination bottle and can opener.
Pop machines back in the day had them, although a different design, permanently attached to the machines, for snatching the caps from the bottle tops.
One end is for bottle caps, the other end for opening a beer can.
A good cook will usually have several for opening canned milk to pour.
I have a GREAT COOK, and she has been with me for 60 years come Feb 18th!!

In the days before snap-top cans and twist off caps,
church keys wouldn't get you into a church,
but they often got you into trouble.

canned milk, and also pineapple juice before everything was in the same plastic juice bottles

Does that one not post date the item called a "Church Key" , I imagined it was specifically designed to only remove "crown seals"
Like this one
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40467894...BlBMUPbm-ND9Zg