guideline vs shortcut

guideline

noun
  • A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour. 

  • A light line, used in lettering, to help align the text. 

  • A plan or explanation to guide one in setting standards or determining a course of action. 

  • He considered the Ten Commandments more as a guideline than a requirement. 

shortcut

noun
  • A method to accomplish something that omits one or more steps. 

  • A keyboard shortcut: a combination of keystrokes that provides easier access to a command or operation. 

  • A path between two points that is faster than the commonly used paths. 

  • A file that points to the location of another file and serves as a quick way to access it. 

verb
  • To take or use a shortcut 

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