kick around vs knock about

kick around

verb
  • To wander loose; to float around; to hang around. 

  • To be discussed informally; to be considered. 

  • To abuse or mistreat; to bully; to be rough with. 

noun
  • An informal game of football, rugby or similar sports. 

knock about

verb
  • To move or roam around aimlessly. 

  • To be mislaid in a place. 

  • To engage in a relaxing activity in a place; to hang around in. 

  • To be present at or inhabit a certain place. 

  • Often followed by with: to spend time companionably; to hang around. 

  • To live an unconventional life. 

  • To hit (someone or something) all over repeatedly; hence, to behave violently towards or mistreat (someone or something). 

How often have the words kick around and knock about occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )