further vs take the edge off

further

adv
  • To a greater extent or degree. 

  • Beyond what is already stated or is already the case. 

  • Also; in addition; furthermore; moreover. 

  • Following on (from). 

  • To, at or over a greater distance in space, time or other extent. 

verb
  • To help forward; to assist. 

  • To encourage growth; to support progress or growth of something; to promote. 

adj
  • More distant; relatively distant. 

  • More, additional. 

take the edge off

verb
  • To diminish the effects of (something unpleasant or severe); to dull. 

  • To relax or unwind (by consuming alcohol or other psychoactive substances). 

How often have the words further and take the edge off occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )