desperate vs tough cookie

desperate

noun
  • A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, addict, etc. 

adj
  • Extremely bad; outrageous, shocking; intolerable. 

  • In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. 

  • Intense; extremely intense. 

  • Being filled with, or in a state of, despair; hopeless. 

  • Beyond hope, leaving little reason for hope; causing despair; extremely perilous. 

  • Involving or employing extreme measures, without regard to danger or safety; reckless due to hopelessness. 

tough cookie

noun
  • A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person. 

  • A hardy, resilient animal or plant. 

  • Something troublesome or difficult to handle. 

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