shot in the arm vs upper

shot in the arm

noun
  • A stimulus; a boost in energy, morale, or well-being. 

  • An injection of a drug into the arm, whether for medical or recreational purposes. 

upper

noun
  • A stimulant, such as amphetamine, that increases energy and decreases appetite. 

  • A denture or retainer for the teeth in the upper jaw. 

  • The piece of leather, etc., that forms the top part of a shoe above the sole. 

  • An upper berth or bunk. 

  • That which is higher, contrasted with the lower. 

  • The upper portion of something 

  • Someone with higher social standing 

  • A spiritual passageway through which consciousness can reach a higher dimension. 

  • A senior student. 

  • A tooth in the upper jaw. 

  • The Y-shaped strap on flip-flops. 

adj
  • Of or pertaining to a secondary school. 

  • At a higher level, rank or position. 

  • younger, more recent 

  • Situated on higher ground, further inland, or more northerly. 

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