bluff vs false colors

bluff

noun
  • An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does. 

  • An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio. 

  • A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face. 

  • One who bluffs; a bluffer. 

  • A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow. 

verb
  • To make a bluff; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is. 

  • To give false information intentionally; to lie; to deceive 

  • To take advantage by bluffing. 

  • To fluff, puff or swell up. 

  • To frighten or deter with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate and gain some advantage. 

adj
  • Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners. 

  • Having a broad, flattened front. 

  • Surly; churlish; gruff; rough. 

  • Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front. 

false colors

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