quicksilver vs shrewd

quicksilver

adj
  • Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial. 

noun
  • The metal mercury. 

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

verb
  • To overlay with quicksilver. 

  • To treat with quicksilver. 

shrewd

adj
  • Artful, tricky or cunning. 

  • Sharp, snithy, piercing. 

  • Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters. 

  • Streetwise, street-smart. 

  • Knowledgeable, intelligent, keen. 

  • Nigh accurate. 

  • Severe, intense, hard. 

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