gripe vs wale

gripe

noun
  • The piece of timber that terminates the keel at the fore end; the forefoot. 

  • A wire rope, often used on davits and other life raft launching systems. 

  • A complaint, often a petty or trivial one. 

  • The compass or sharpness of a ship's stern under the water, having a tendency to make her keep a good wind. 

  • Pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines. 

  • An assemblage of ropes, dead-eyes, and hocks, fastened to ringbolts in the deck, to secure the boats when hoisted. 

verb
  • To suffer griping pains. 

  • To tend to come up into the wind, as a ship which, when sailing close-hauled, requires constant labour at the helm. 

  • To annoy or bother. 

  • To complain; to whine. 

wale

noun
  • A horizontal timber used for supporting or retaining earth. 

  • A ridge or streak produced on skin by a cane or whip. 

  • A ridge or low barrier. 

  • A ridge on the outside of a horse collar. 

  • A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position. 

  • Something selected as being the best, preference; choice. 

  • The texture of a piece of fabric. 

  • A horizontal ridge or ledge on the outside planking of a wooden ship. (See gunwale, chainwale) 

  • A raised rib in knit goods or fabric, especially corduroy. 

verb
  • To strike the skin in such a way as to produce a wale or welt. 

  • To choose, select. 

  • To beat a person, especially as punishment or out of anger. 

  • To give a surface a texture of wales or welts. 

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