ball-breaker

ball-breaker

Someone who deliberately gives others a hard time, is very demanding, or is insulting. Can be considered vulgar slang. John's boss, Mark, is quite the ball-breaker. After completing the project ahead of time and under budget, Mark ordered John to work through the weekend to finish up other meaningless tasks. My mother-in-law can be such a ball-breaker. To her, I never do anything right. Don't be a ball-breaker, all right? I'm only trying to help.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

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.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.