shoehorn vs slat

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. 

slat

verb
  • To construct or provide with slats. 

  • To set on; to incite. 

  • To slap; to strike; to beat; to throw down violently. 

  • To split; to crack. 

noun
  • A ski. 

  • A thin, narrow strip or bar of wood (lath), metal, or plastic. 

  • A control surface that extends forwards and downwards from the leading edge of a wing, leaving a gap between it and the leading edge, in order to modify the airflow around the wing so as to allow flight at a higher angle of attack without stalling, lowering the aircraft's stall speed. 

  • A thin piece of stone; a slate. 

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