distinction vs honorable mention

distinction

noun
  • Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished. 

  • That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination. 

  • The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination. 

honorable mention

noun
  • An award or recognition given to a person or thing who does not make it to a higher standing but whose performance or entry was noteworthy. 

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