quicksilver vs shiftless

quicksilver

adj
  • Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial. 

verb
  • To overlay with quicksilver. 

  • To treat with quicksilver. 

noun
  • The metal mercury. 

  • An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering. 

shiftless

adj
  • Destitute of shifts or expedients; lacking proper means. 

  • Untrustworthy as a result of being incompetent at the job. 

  • Lazy, unmotivated. 

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