between a rock and a hard place vs over a barrel

between a rock and a hard place

prep
  • Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary. 

  • In a difficult and inescapable position. 

over a barrel

prep
  • In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, especially one in which one may be controlled or victimized. 

How often have the words between a rock and a hard place and over a barrel occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )