in earnest vs point-blank

in earnest

adv
  • Having a sincere intent. 

  • With considerable commitment, determination, or effect; significantly. 

adj
  • Sincere; determined; truthful. 

point-blank

adv
  • In a direct manner, without hesitation. 

adj
  • Disconcertingly straightforward or blunt; outright. 

  • Very close; not touching but not more than a few metres (yards). 

  • The distance between a firearm and a target where a projectile in flight is expected to strike the centre of the target without adjusting the elevation of the firearm. 

How often have the words in earnest and point-blank occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )