pitched battle vs scuffle

pitched battle

noun
  • An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation. 

  • A battle which opposing forces anticipate and commit to fighting; a sustained, intense and confrontational fight. 

scuffle

noun
  • A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters. 

  • Poverty; struggle. 

  • A Dutch hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling. 

verb
  • To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters. 

  • To walk with a shuffling gait. 

  • To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially. 

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