plead vs take a hand

plead

verb
  • To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case. 

  • To beg, beseech, or implore. 

  • To offer by way of excuse. 

  • To discuss by arguments. 

take a hand

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