the.com/bottle opener
a lever that turns thirst into physics, prying joy loose one stubborn cap at a time
means A handheld tool that uses leverage to pry the metal cap off a sealed bottle.
from A plain compound of "bottle" and "opener," both straightforward English. "Bottle" came through Old French "boteille" from the Late Latin "butticula," a little cask or flask. The device itself only became necessary after the crimped metal "crown cap" was patented in the late 19th century — once bottles were sealed with stubborn fluted caps instead of corks, somebody had to invent the little lever to fight back.
- crown cap
- William Painter invented the 21-tooth cap in 1892
- church key
- Nickname predates bottles, mocking pious-looking pointed tools
- lever class
- Classic opener is a second-class lever, like a wheelbarrow
- belt buckles
- Doubled as openers for soldiers and festival-goers alike
- teeth warning
- Dentists beg you to please stop opening with molars
waiters friend corkscrew — patented 1884 by karl wienke, the most popular bottle opener design in bars worldwide
butterfly corkscrew — invented 1882 by friedrich stöver in germany, features two hinged arms that fold down
screwpull lever corkscrew — designed 1979 by herbert allen, revolutionary teflon-coated worm that removes corks effortlessly