"Beck" from yesterday's standard puzzle, BARRACKED

[Jacki]

Why is BECK not common? Surely the phrase "beck and call" is familiar everywhere? I know I've probably raised this before (I can't remember!) and I know it's short for beckon, but I still think the phrase with that word in it is common enough to justify changing the status of BECK.
As a mother, wife, sister and daughter I am certainly well-versed in the meaning of being at someone's beck and call!!

[mkenuk]

This was Alan's reply the last time the word came up for discussion

https://theforum.lexigame.com/index.php?topic=3455.0

In yesterday's game, the word beck got 452 hits, played by more than 60% of those taking part. .
I would have thought that such a word could hardly be said to be 'rare' or 'uncommon'.

'I generally follow the rule that a word that is invariably part of a phrase is not really a word in its own right. Or, in this case, a word that is almost always part of a phrase is not a common word in its own right.'
(from Alan's previous ruling)

The least played common word in yesterday's barracked game was aback.
But this rather archaic word is hardly ever used nowadays except as part of the phrase 'take /taken aback'

Maybe aback should also be classed as uncommon ?

 

[Jacki]

I knew it had come up before, thanks Mike. In regards to ABACK, I think aback is pretty common. Certainly if I missed it as a word I'd be kicking myself.
I get that a word in a phrase only doesn't constitute commonness but it's a pretty common phrase!

[Linda]

Why is a stream called a beck? Many Lake District names come from the Norse settlers in the tenth century for example: beck (stream), dale (valley), gill (gorge), tarn (lake) and thwaite (clearing).

We have more becks than you can shake a fish at up here!! 

[cmh]

It's standard Yorkshire too.

[Katzmeow]

I also played beck and I missed aback.
Surely one is only 'taken aback', I can't think of any other use for it.
Which would place it in the same category as 'beck & call'?

[Hobbit]

Me too!  Frustratingly my other missing word was braked