shortcut vs stepping stone

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 

stepping stone

noun
  • Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else. 

  • A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek. 

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