shoehorn vs sink

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. 

sink

verb
  • To push (something) into something. 

  • To demean or lower oneself; to do something below one's status, standards, or morals. 

  • To cause to decline; to depress or degrade. 

  • To drink (especially something alcoholic). 

  • To (directly or indirectly) cause a vessel to sink, generally by making it no longer watertight. 

  • To make by digging or delving. 

  • To pot; hit a ball into a pocket or hole. 

  • To pay absolutely. 

  • To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fail in strength. 

  • To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance. 

  • To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height. 

  • To experience apprehension, disappointment, dread, or momentary depression. 

noun
  • An object or callback that captures events; an event sink. 

  • A stage trapdoor for shifting scenery. 

  • Descending motion; descent. 

  • A depression in a stereotype plate. 

  • A destination vertex in a transportation network. 

  • An abode of degraded persons; a wretched place. 

  • A sinkhole. 

  • A drain for carrying off wastewater. 

  • An excavation smaller than a shaft. 

  • A habitat that cannot support a population on its own but receives the excess of individuals from some other source. 

  • One or several systems that remove currency from the game's economy, thus controlling or preventing inflation. 

  • A basin used for holding water for washing. 

  • A heat sink. 

  • A depression in land where water collects, with no visible outlet. 

  • The motion of a sinker pitch. 

  • A place that absorbs resources or energy. 

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