shoehorn vs squash

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. 

squash

verb
  • To compress or restrict (oneself) into a small space; to squeeze. 

  • To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush. 

  • To suppress; to force into submission. 

noun
  • Lagenaria siceraria (syn. Cucurbita verrucosa), calabash, long-neck squash. 

  • A preparation made by placing material on a slide (flat, rectangular piece of glass), covering it and applying pressure. 

  • A sport played in a walled court with a soft rubber ball and bats like tennis racquets. 

  • An extremely one-sided, usually short, match. 

  • Cucurbita argyrosperma (syn. Cucurbita mixta), cushaw squash. 

  • Cucurbita moschata, butternut squash, Barbary squash, China squash. 

  • Cucurbita pepo, most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash, zucchini. 

  • The edible or decorative fruit of these plants, or this fruit prepared as a dish. 

  • Cucurbita maxima, including hubbard squash, great winter squash, buttercup squash, and some varieties of pumpkins. 

  • A soft drink made from a fruit-based concentrate diluted with water. 

  • Any other similar-looking plant of other genera. 

  • A place or a situation where people have limited space to move. 

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