busk vs stringer

busk

noun
  • A strip of metal, whalebone, wood, or other material, worn in the front of a corset to stiffen it. 

  • A corset. 

verb
  • To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport. 

  • To tack, cruise about. 

stringer

noun
  • A horizontal timber that supports upright posts, or supports the hull of a vessel. 

  • The side rail supporting the rungs of a ladder or the steps of a flight of stairs. 

  • Someone who strings someone along. 

  • Wooden strip running lengthwise down the centre of a surfboard, for strength. 

  • A hard-hit ball. 

  • Someone who threads something; one who makes or provides strings, especially for bows. 

  • A cord or chain, sometimes with additional loops, that is threaded through the mouth and gills of caught fish. 

  • A pallet or skid used when shipping less than truckload (LTL) freight. A platform typically constructed of timber or plastic designed such that freight may be stacked on top, able to be lifted by a forklift. 

  • A person who plays on a particular string. 

  • A person who deliberately states that a certain bird is present when it is not; one who knowingly misleads other birders about the occurrence of a bird, especially a rarity. 

  • A small screw-hook to which piano strings are sometimes attached. 

  • A freelance correspondent not on the regular newspaper staff, especially one retained on a part-time basis to report on events in a particular place. 

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