hard nut to crack vs problem

hard nut to crack

noun
  • A problem that is challenging to solve. 

  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hard, nut, crack. 

  • A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with. 

  • A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry. 

  • An amount that is difficult to finance. 

problem

noun
  • A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with. 

  • A puzzling circumstance. 

  • A set of moves required to complete a climb. 

  • A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise. 

  • Objection. 

  • Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand. 

adj
  • Causing a problem; problematic; troublesome. 

  • Difficult to train or guide; unruly. 

How often have the words hard nut to crack and problem occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )