flipper vs handle

flipper

verb
  • To lift one or both flippers out of the water and slap the surface of the water. 

noun
  • Television remote control, clicker. 

  • A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce. 

  • A flat lever in a pinball machine, triggered by the player to strike the ball and keep it in play. 

  • A kind of false tooth, usually temporary. 

  • A small flat used to support a larger one. 

  • Someone who flips, in the sense of buying a house or other asset and selling it quickly for profit. 

  • Someone who flips in any other sense, for example throwing a coin. 

  • In marine mammals such as whales, a wide flat limb, adapted for swimming. 

  • A flat, wide, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming. 

  • A kitchen spatula. 

handle

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

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

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

  • To use 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 flipper and handle occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )