backstair vs shifty

backstair

adj
  • clandestine, secret or furtive 

noun
  • The backstairs (stairs at the rear of a building). 

shifty

adj
  • Having the appearance of being dishonest, criminal, or unreliable. 

  • Moving from one object to another; not looking directly and steadily at the person with whom one is speaking. 

  • Subject to frequent changes in direction. 

  • Resourceful; full of, or ready with, shifts or expedients. 

How often have the words backstair and shifty occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )