ball-breaker
McGraw-Hill Slang Dictionary:
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ball-breaker
and ball-buster
1. n. a difficult task; a difficult or trying situation requiring extremely hard work or effort. (Usually objectionable.) That whole construction job was a real ball-breaker. Why should moving furniture end up being such a ball-buster?
2. n. a hard taskmaster; a hard-to-please boss. (Usually objectionable.) Tom gets a day's work for a day's pay out of his men, but he's no ball-breaker. My boss is a ball-buster, but he pays well.
3. n. a female who is threatening to males. (Usually objectionable.) Mrs. Samuels has a terrible reputation as a "ball-breaker." Wholly deserved, I might add.
1. n. a difficult task; a difficult or trying situation requiring extremely hard work or effort. (Usually objectionable.) That whole construction job was a real ball-breaker. Why should moving furniture end up being such a ball-buster?
2. n. a hard taskmaster; a hard-to-please boss. (Usually objectionable.) Tom gets a day's work for a day's pay out of his men, but he's no ball-breaker. My boss is a ball-buster, but he pays well.
3. n. a female who is threatening to males. (Usually objectionable.) Mrs. Samuels has a terrible reputation as a "ball-breaker." Wholly deserved, I might add.
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang:
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ball-breaker
noun
noun
1: A difficult, boring, or exasperating job, problem, or situation. (1954 —) .
2: A person who sets difficult work or problems; a hard taskmaster. (1970 —) .
N. Armstrong et al. The quality control inspector is a sort of nitpicker. We're the ball breakers, in plain English. We're the most unwanted people (1970).
3: A dominating woman, one who destroys the self-confidence of a man. (1975 —) .
I. Shaw Tom told me about that wife of his. A real ball-breaker, isn't she? (1977). Hence ball-breaking,adjective (1976 —) .
[From ballsnoun 1. ]
noun
1: A difficult, boring, or exasperating job, problem, or situation. (1954 —) .
2: A person who sets difficult work or problems; a hard taskmaster. (1970 —) .
N. Armstrong et al. The quality control inspector is a sort of nitpicker. We're the ball breakers, in plain English. We're the most unwanted people (1970).
3: A dominating woman, one who destroys the self-confidence of a man. (1975 —) .
I. Shaw Tom told me about that wife of his. A real ball-breaker, isn't she? (1977). Hence ball-breaking,
[From balls
| ball and chain, ball, balderdash | |
| ball-buster, ballocking, ballpark |
