bitter end vs gammon

bitter end

noun
  • That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains inboard when a ship is riding at anchor. 

  • The final six fathoms of anchor chain before the point of attachment in the chain locker of modern US naval vessels. 

  • The end of a long and difficult process. 

gammon

noun
  • A rope fastening a bowsprit to the stem of a ship (usually called a gammoning). 

  • Backgammon (the game itself). 

  • A victory in backgammon achieved when the opponent has not borne off a single stone. 

  • A cut of quick-cured pork leg. 

  • A middle-aged or older right-wing, reactionary white man, or such men collectively. 

verb
  • To lash with ropes (on a ship). 

  • To cure bacon by salting. 

  • To beat by a gammon (without the opponent bearing off a stone). 

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