soothe vs take the edge off

soothe

verb
  • To smooth over; render less obnoxious. 

  • To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh. 

  • To calm or placate someone or some situation. 

  • To keep in good humour; wheedle; cajole; flatter. 

  • To ease or relieve pain or suffering. 

  • To temporise by assent, concession, flattery, or cajolery. 

  • To bring comfort or relief. 

  • To allay; assuage; mitigate; soften. 

take the edge off

verb
  • To diminish the effects of (something unpleasant or severe); to dull. 

  • To relax or unwind (by consuming alcohol or other psychoactive substances). 

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