flipper vs tackle

flipper

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

  • Television remote control, clicker. 

  • 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. 

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

tackle

noun
  • A play where a defender brings the ball carrier to the ground. 

  • Any instance in which one person intercepts another and forces them to the ground. 

  • A device for grasping an object and an attached means of moving it, as a rope and hook. 

  • A block and tackle. 

  • A man's genitalia. 

  • Equipment, gear, gadgetry. 

  • A play where a player attempts to take control over the ball from an opponent, as in rugby or football. 

  • Equipment (rod, reel, line, lure, etc.) used when angling. 

  • An offensive line position between a guard and an end: offensive tackle; a person playing that position. 

  • Clothing. 

  • A defensive position between two defensive ends: defensive tackle; a person playing that position. 

verb
  • To "hit on" or pursue a person that one is interested in. 

  • To face or deal with, attempting to overcome or fight down. 

  • To bring a ball carrier to the ground. 

  • To attempt to take away a ball. 

  • To force a person to the ground with the weight of one's own body, usually by jumping on top or slamming one's weight into them. 

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