free-for-all vs rat race

free-for-all

noun
  • Deathmatch, sometimes specifically one in which every player is pitted against all the others. 

  • Chaos; a chaotic situation lacking rules or control. 

adj
  • Open to anyone and with no or few rules. 

rat race

noun
  • Inconsiderate or unfair competition, where the competitors are willing to do just about anything to win. 

  • An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle. 

  • The busy, modern urban lifestyle itself, especially when seen as a competition for wealth or power. 

How often have the words free-for-all and rat race occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )