by the book vs without prejudice

by the book

prep
  • In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures. 

  • In a manner which appears too studied, ritualized, and therefore artificial. 

without prejudice

prep
  • Without affecting a legal interest. 

  • Not affecting nor considering other possibly related issues. 

  • A term used to allow a statement or proposal in communications, while allowing the party to return to their original position without being impeded by the described statement or proposal. 

How often have the words by the book and without prejudice occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )