lilt vs national anthem

lilt

noun
  • A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune. 

  • A cheerful or melodious accent when speaking. 

  • Animated, brisk motion; spirited rhythm; sprightliness. 

verb
  • To utter with spirit, animation, or gaiety; to sing with spirit and liveliness. 

  • To sing cheerfully, especially in Gaelic. 

  • To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. 

national anthem

noun
  • The official song of a constituent state of a country. 

  • The official song of a nation or sovereign state, generally of a patriotic nature and played at events to celebrate or honor said state. 

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