clerk vs patronage

clerk

noun
  • A salesclerk; a person who serves customers in a store or market. 

  • A law clerk. 

  • One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker. 

  • An employee at a hotel who deals with guests. 

  • A facilitator of a Quaker meeting for business affairs. 

verb
  • To act as a clerk, to perform the duties or functions of a clerk 

  • The law school graduate clerked for the supreme court judge for the summer. 

patronage

noun
  • The act or state of being a customer of some business. 

  • Customers collectively; clientele; business. 

  • A communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient; condescension; disdain. 

  • The right of nomination to political office. 

  • Granting favours or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support. 

  • The right of presentation to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson. 

  • Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary care. 

  • The act of providing approval and support; backing; championship. 

verb
  • To support by being a patron of. 

  • To be a regular customer or client of; to patronize 

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