hitch vs hurdle

hitch

noun
  • A hidden or unfavorable condition or element. 

  • A fastener or connection point, as for a trailer. 

  • A large Californian minnow, Lavinia exilicauda. 

  • A problem, delay or source of difficulty. 

  • A sudden pull. 

  • A period of time spent in the military. 

  • Any of various knots used to attach a rope to an object other than another rope. 

verb
  • To strike the legs together in going, as horses; to interfere. 

  • To attach, tie or fasten. 

  • To pull with a jerk. 

  • To marry oneself to; especially to get hitched. 

  • To become entangled or caught; to be linked or yoked; to unite; to cling. 

  • To move interruptedly or with halts, jerks, or steps; said of something obstructed or impeded. 

hurdle

noun
  • An obstacle, real or perceived, physical or abstract. 

  • An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race. 

  • A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for enclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes. 

verb
  • To compete in the track and field events of hurdles (e.g. high hurdles). 

  • To overcome an obstacle. 

  • To jump over something while running. 

  • To hedge, cover, make, or enclose with hurdles. 

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