clamp vs shoehorn

clamp

verb
  • To fasten in place or together with (or as if with) a clamp. 

  • To hold or grip tightly. 

  • To immobilise (a vehicle) by means of a wheel clamp. 

  • To modify (a numeric value) so it lies within a specific range by replacing values outside the range with the closest value within the range. 

noun
  • An electronic circuit that fixes either the positive or the negative peak excursions of a signal to a defined value by shifting its DC value. 

  • A parking enforcement device used to immobilise a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp. 

  • An instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc. 

  • A mass of bricks heaped up to be burned; or of ore for roasting, or of coal coking. 

  • A pile of agricultural produce such as root vegetables or silage stored under a layer of earth or an airtight sheet. 

  • A piece of wood (batten) across the grain of a board end to keep it flat, as in a breadboard. 

  • A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things together. 

shoehorn

verb
  • To force (something) into (a tight space); to squeeze (something) into (a schedule, etc); to exert great effort to insert or include (something); to include (something) despite potent reasons not to. 

  • To use a shoehorn. 

  • To force some current event into alignment with some (usually unconnected) agenda, especially when it is fallacious. 

noun
  • A smooth tool that assists in putting the foot into a shoe, by sliding the heel in after the toe is in place. This reduces discomfort and damage to the back of the shoe. By slipping it into the back of the shoe behind the heel, the user prevents the heel from squashing down the back of the shoe and causing difficulty; instead the heel slides down the smooth shoehorn, which then comes out easily once the foot is in place. 

  • Anything by which a transaction is facilitated; a medium. 

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