signpost vs wand

signpost

noun
  • A word or phrase within a clue that serves as an indicator, rather than being fodder. 

  • A post bearing a sign that gives information on directions. 

verb
  • To indicate logical progress of a discourse using words or phrases such as now, right, to recap, to sum up, as I was saying, etc. 

  • To install signposts on. 

  • To signal, as if with a signpost 

  • To direct (somebody) to services, resources, etc. 

wand

noun
  • A hand-held narrow rod, usually used for pointing or instructing, or as a traditional emblem of authority. 

  • A stick, branch, or stalk, especially of willow. 

  • An instrument shaped like a wand, such as a curling wand. 

  • A card of a particular suit of the minor arcana in tarot, the wands. 

  • A stick or rod used by a magician (a magic wand), conjurer or diviner (divining rod). 

verb
  • To scan (e.g. a passenger at an airport) with a metal detector. 

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