flipper vs pat

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. 

pat

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

  • To stroke or fondle (an animal). 

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

  • To gently rain. 

adv
  • Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way. 

  • Perfectly. 

noun
  • 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 

  • A light tap or slap, especially with the hands 

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

  • Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality. 

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