Why do we always say "car keys" when we only use one key to open a car and start its engine?

Question

We use plural "keys" instead of "key" for our car. "Honey, where's the car keys?" Can anyone tell me why?????

Answer 1

Some older vehicles (Ford in particular) had one key for the doors and another for the ignition. I have an older Ford truck that has two different keys.

Answer 2

In the past people used one key for the door and a totally different key to start the car.

Answer 3

You are obviously too young to appreciate the golden age of motoring, when you could park where you liked, there were no speed traps and traffic wardens were unheard of. Then, after they started fitting cars with doors, several keys were used. I have a 50 year old car now and it has three keys, door, ignition and boot. It was normal on this age of car to have two but at some time in its life one of the locks has been changed hence the third key. On older cars changing a lock was a frequent occurrence and it was pot luck whether it matched your old keys, no body bothered. Now with electronic security systems operating with the locks the system has become far more complicated and far more costly.

Answer 4

You could debate (at first) because only modern cars have one key.

In the past there was a key for:

Boot
Door
Engine

But most probably the word 'keys' is a collective word to include other keys on the bunch - say a front door key etc.

It's just a familiar phrase that anyone understands and is instantly recognisable.

Answer 5

Well, my older cars had one key for the ignition and one for the trunk or door, so it was "keys" and the tradition held. They had a vastly different shape, but always cost less than a $1 to replace.

Answer 6

It is a hold over from the past(pre-1990's) when almost all American and most European cars used two keys,one for getting in the car and one to start it.Only the Japanese and a few odd-ball European cars used a one key system.

Answer 7

As above, the single 'all for one' car key is a relatively new invention.

For decades, all cars had separate keys for the doors and the ignition. 'Tis only the youngsters that don't remember 'em...

Answer 8

If you look closely a the car key, you will see the teeth.. most doors that use a key to unlock it has the teeth on one side only. But the car keys, they have it on both sides..Ayt?

Answer 9

most of the answers you've allready gotten are right respectively, but my slant on it is that there are more keys on the car ring than just the car, most people have house keys and who knows what else

Answer 10

I have never seen anyone have just one key on their key ring...
i.e. house keys, keys to the other car, key to the shed....etc..