root about vs toothcomb

root about

verb
  • To search for something in a similar manner. 

  • To rummage; to look for something in a somewhat aimless fashion. 

  • To forage by poking the snout here and there. 

toothcomb

verb
  • To search (something) thoroughly. 

  • To use a toothcomb on (something). 

noun
  • A comb with finely spaced teeth, chiefly as a metaphorical means of making a thorough search. 

  • A comb-like dental structure found in the lower jaws of certain primates consisting of long, flat front teeth with microscopic grooves, which are used for grooming fur. 

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