high road vs road

high road

noun
  • A main road or highway. 

  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see high, road. 

  • A course of action which is dignified, honourable, or respectable. 

road

noun
  • Roads in general as a means of travel, especially by motor vehicle. 

  • A partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor; a roadstead. 

  • A railway or (UK, rail transport) a single railway track. 

  • A path chosen in life or career. 

  • A way or route. 

  • A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane. 

  • An underground tunnel in a mine. 

adj
  • At the venue of the opposing team or competitor; on the road. 

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