clout vs pat

clout

noun
  • A blow with the hand. 

  • A clout nail. 

  • The center of the butt at which archers shoot; probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head. 

  • Influence or effectiveness, especially political. 

  • A home run. 

verb
  • To cover with cloth, leather, or other material; to bandage, patch, or mend with a clout. 

  • To stud with nails, as a timber, or a boot sole. 

  • To guard with an iron plate, as an axletree. 

  • To hit, especially with the fist. 

  • To join or patch clumsily. 

pat

noun
  • A light tap or slap, especially with the hands 

  • A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung. 

  • The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep 

adj
  • Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken. 

  • Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality. 

adv
  • Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way. 

  • Perfectly. 

verb
  • To stroke or fondle (an animal). 

  • To hit lightly and repeatedly with the flat of the hand to make smooth or flat 

  • To (gently) tap the flat of one's hand on a person or thing. 

  • To gently rain. 

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