except vs let off hook

except

verb
  • To exclude; to specify as being an exception. 

  • To take exception, to object (to or against). 

prep
  • with the exception of; but. 

conj
  • With the exception (that); used to introduce a clause, phrase or adverb forming an exception or qualification to something previously stated. 

let off hook

How often have the words except and let off hook occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )