fringe vs on the edge

fringe

verb
  • To serve as a fringe. 

  • To decorate with fringe. 

adj
  • Outside the mainstream. 

noun
  • The area around the green 

  • A marginal or peripheral part. 

  • The peristome or fringe-like appendage of the capsules of most mosses. 

  • A light or dark band formed by the diffraction of light. 

  • Used attributively with reference to Aboriginal people living on the edge of towns etc. 

  • Those members of a political party, or any social group, holding unorthodox views. 

  • The periphery of a town or city (or other area). 

  • Synonym of bangs: hair hanging over the forehead, especially a hairstyle where it is cut straight across. 

  • A daypart that precedes or follows prime time. 

  • A decorative border. 

  • Non-mainstream theatre. 

on the edge

prep
  • With figurative or temporal proximity to (an event, state of mind, etc.). 

  • In a state of excitement due to taking risks. 

  • In a precarious position, with one's recourses nearly exhausted. 

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