pick up on vs recognize

pick up on

verb
  • To notice, observe, learn, or understand, especially something otherwise overlooked. 

  • To adopt a practice in which others already engage. 

  • To continue or build upon (for example, a task, analysis, or narrative), beginning from a point at which someone has previously stopped. 

recognize

verb
  • To realize or discover the nature of something; apprehend quality in. 

  • To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing. 

  • To show formal appreciation of, as with an award, commendation etc. 

  • to cognize again 

  • To have the property to bind to specific antigens. 

  • To acknowledge or consider (as being a certain thing or having a certain quality or property). 

  • To acknowledge the existence or legality of; to treat as valid or worthy of consideration. 

How often have the words pick up on and recognize occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )