scram vs take a powder

scram

verb
  • To leave in a hurry; to go away. 

  • To scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw. 

  • Of a nuclear reactor or some other thing: to shut down, usually because of an emergency. 

  • To shut down (a nuclear reactor or, by extension, some other thing) for safety reasons, usually because of an emergency. 

noun
  • A shutdown of a nuclear reactor (or, by extension, some other thing), often done rapidly due to an emergency. 

  • The device used to shut down a nuclear reactor; also, the button or switch used to initiate a shutdown. 

  • A scratch, especially caused by claws or fingernails. 

take a powder

verb
  • To leave without saying goodbye; leave quietly, run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility. 

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