diversion vs shortcut

diversion

noun
  • A tactic used to draw attention away from the real threat or action. 

  • A hobby; an activity that distracts the mind. 

  • A detour, such as during road construction. 

  • Officially halting or suspending a formal criminal or juvenile justice proceeding and referral of the accused person to a treatment or care program. 

  • The act of diverting. 

  • Removal of water via a canal. 

  • The rerouting of cargo or passengers to a new transshipment point or destination, or to a different mode of transportation before arrival at the ultimate destination. 

shortcut

noun
  • A method to accomplish something that omits one or more steps. 

  • A keyboard shortcut: a combination of keystrokes that provides easier access to a command or operation. 

  • A path between two points that is faster than the commonly used paths. 

  • A file that points to the location of another file and serves as a quick way to access it. 

verb
  • To take or use a shortcut 

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