clutch vs strap

clutch

verb
  • To grip or grasp tightly. 

  • To unexpectedly or luckily succeed in a difficult activity. 

  • To hatch. 

  • To seize, as though with claws. 

  • To win in a 1vX (one versus X) situation. 

adj
  • Performing or tending to perform well in difficult, high-pressure situations. 

noun
  • The claw of a predatory animal or bird. 

  • An important or critical situation. 

  • A brood of chickens or a sitting of eggs. 

  • A device to interrupt power transmission, commonly used to separate the engine and gearbox in a car. 

  • A fastener that attaches to the back of a tack pin to secure an accessory to clothing. (See Clutch (pin fastener).) 

  • A small handbag or purse with no straps or handle. 

  • A group or bunch (of people or things). 

  • Any device for gripping an object, as at the end of a chain or tackle. 

  • A grip, especially one seen as rapacious or evil. 

  • The pedal in a car that disengages power and torque transmission from the engine (through the drivetrain) to the drive wheels. 

  • A difficult maneuver 

strap

verb
  • To fasten or bind with a strap. 

  • To beat or chastise with a strap; to whip, to lash. 

  • To sharpen by rubbing on a strap; to strop. 

noun
  • Something made of such a strip, or of a part of one, or a combination of two or more for a particular use. 

  • A band, plate, or loop of metal for clasping and holding timbers or parts of a machine. 

  • A strip of thick leather used in flogging. 

  • A long, narrow, pliable strip of leather, cloth, or the like. 

  • A championship belt, or by extension, the title. 

  • An investment strategy involving simultaneous trade with one put and two call options on the same security at the same strike price, similar to but more bullish than a straddle. 

  • The flat part of the corolla in ligulate florets, as those of the white circle in the daisy. 

  • Synonym of strapline 

  • A gun, normally a personal firearm such as a pistol or machine pistol. 

  • A piece of leather, or strip of wood covered with a suitable material, used to hone the sharpened edge of a razor; a strop. 

  • The leaf, exclusive of its sheath, in some grasses. 

  • A strap worn on the shoulder. 

  • A piece of rope or metal passing around a block and used for fastening it to anything. 

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