blow vs handle

blow

verb
  • To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake. 

  • (used to express displeasure or frustration) Damn. 

  • To create or shape by blowing; as in to blow bubbles, to blow glass. 

  • To flatulate or defecate. 

  • To produce an air current. 

  • To propel by an air current (or, if under water, a water current), usually with the mouth. 

  • To fellate; to perform oral sex on (usually a man). 

  • To make flyblown, to defile, especially with fly eggs. 

  • (of a fly) To lay eggs; to breed. 

  • To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue. 

  • To be propelled by an air current. 

  • To sing. 

  • To blow from a gun. 

  • To blossom; to cause to bloom or blossom. 

  • To make a sound as the result of being blown. 

  • To clear of contents by forcing air through. 

  • To cause the sudden destruction of. 

  • To cause to make sound by blowing, as a musical instrument. 

  • To direct or move, usually of a person to a particular location. 

  • To burst or explode; to occur suddenly 

  • To leave, especially suddenly or in a hurry. 

  • To suddenly fail destructively. 

  • To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding. 

  • To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means. 

  • To be very undesirable. 

  • To leave the Church of Scientology in an unauthorized manner. 

  • To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff. 

  • To recklessly squander. 

  • To cause to explode, shatter, or be utterly destroyed. 

noun
  • Synonym of button (“the punchy or suspenseful line of dialogue that concludes a scene”) 

  • Cocaine. 

  • An instance of using high-pressure air to empty water from the ballast tanks of a submarine, increasing the submarine's buoyancy and causing it to surface. 

  • A damaging occurrence. 

  • Cannabis. 

  • A mass or display of flowers; a yield. 

  • An outcrop of quartz from surrounding rock, thought to indicate mineral deposits below. 

  • A bloom, state of flowering. 

  • A sudden or forcible act or effort; an assault. 

  • A strong wind. 

  • The act of striking or hitting. 

  • A blowjob; fellatio. 

  • A display of anything brilliant or bright. 

  • Heroin. 

  • A chance to catch one's breath. 

  • A cut made to a sheep's fleece by a shearer using hand-shears. 

adj
  • Blue. 

handle

verb
  • To put up with; to endure (and continue to function). 

  • To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell. 

  • To treat, to deal with (in a specified way). 

  • To manage, use, or wield with the hands. 

  • To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm; to commit handball. 

  • To use the hands. 

  • To accustom to the hand; to take care of with the hands. 

  • To deal with (a subject, argument, topic, or theme) in speaking, in writing, or in art. 

  • To behave in a particular way when handled (managed, controlled, directed). 

  • To be concerned with; to be an expert in. 

  • To manage, control, or direct. 

  • To touch; to feel or hold with the hand(s). 

noun
  • The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved. 

  • A reference to an object or structure that can be stored in a variable. 

  • A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol. 

  • The smooth, irreducible subcurve of a comb which connects to each of the other components in exactly one point. 

  • The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments. 

  • An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext. 

  • A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls. 

  • A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer. 

  • A point, an extremity of land. 

  • The tactile qualities of a fabric, e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other qualities perceived by touch. 

  • A name, nickname or pseudonym. 

  • A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel. 

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