advance vs handicap

advance

verb
  • To make a higher bid at an auction. 

  • To raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote. 

  • To make (something) happen at an earlier time or date; to bring forward, to hasten. 

  • To make progress; to do well, to succeed. 

  • To move or push (something) forwards, especially forcefully. 

  • To move forwards; to approach. 

  • To help the progress of (something); to further. 

  • To move forward in time; to progress towards completion. 

  • To raise or increase (a price, rate). 

  • To provide (money or other value) before it is due, or in expectation of some work; to lend. 

  • To increase (a number or amount). 

  • To put forward (an idea, argument etc.); to propose. 

noun
  • A forward move; improvement or progression. 

  • An opening approach or overture, now especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature. 

  • An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due; an advancement. 

  • An addition to the price; rise in price or value. 

adj
  • Completed before necessary or a milestone event. 

  • Preceding. 

  • Forward. 

handicap

verb
  • To estimate betting odds. 

  • To encumber with a handicap in any contest. 

  • To place at disadvantage. 

noun
  • Something that prevents, hampers, or hinders. 

  • An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race (or other contest of skill) to the competitor possessing disadvantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success. 

  • The disadvantage itself, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people. 

  • A race or similar contest in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors. 

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