soak up vs swab

soak up

verb
  • To absorb or draw in a substance, especially all of that substance 

  • To absorb or deflect a series of actions; to endure a behavior from someone. 

  • To enjoy some effects. 

  • To learn, especially passively or eagerly; to allow an experience to affect oneself 

swab

verb
  • To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab. 

noun
  • A sailor; a swabby. 

  • A naval officer's epaulet. 

  • A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access. 

  • A mop, especially on a ship. 

  • A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns. 

  • A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material). 

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