cross swords vs fight

cross swords

verb
  • To fight with someone; to duel. 

  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cross, sword., to place or hold two swords so they cross each other. 

  • For males, to urinate simultaneously such that the streams intersect. 

  • To quarrel or argue with someone; to have a dispute with someone. 

fight

verb
  • To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with. 

  • To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.). 

  • Of colours or other design elements: to clash; to fail to harmonize. 

  • To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract. 

  • To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc. 

  • To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle etc. 

  • To strive for something; to campaign or contend for success. 

noun
  • An occasion of fighting. 

  • A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups. 

  • A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife. 

  • The will or ability to fight. 

  • A boxing or martial arts match. 

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