crossword vs tough nut to crack

crossword

noun
  • The grid of such a puzzle 

  • A word puzzle in which interlocking words are entered usually horizontally and vertically into a grid based on clues given for each word. 

tough nut to crack

noun
  • A problem that is challenging to solve. 

  • A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to deal with. 

  • A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry. 

  • An amount that is difficult to finance. 

How often have the words crossword and tough nut to crack occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )