knock about vs pincushion

knock about

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

  • 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. 

pincushion

verb
  • To jab or stick repeatedly with one or more sharp objects, as with pins into a pincushion. 

  • To assume the shape of a pincushion; specifically, of the image on a computer display, television, etc., to exhibit pincushion distortion, where the sides curve inwards. 

noun
  • The pincushionplant, a flowering plant in the genus Navarretia. 

  • A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically. 

  • A flowering plant in the genus Leucospermum. 

  • The dustymaiden, a flowering plant in the genus Chaenactis. 

  • A person who is pricked or stabbed multiple times with sharp objects; specifically, someone who receives regular hypodermic needle injections. 

  • The coral bead plant, coral moss, or English baby tears (Nertera granadensis), an ornamental plant. 

  • A flowering plant in the genus Scabiosa. 

  • The pincushion cactus, of the genera Escobaria or Mammillaria. 

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