Green’s Dictionary of Slang

ballock v.²

to reprimand, to tell off.

1901		Truth (Brisbane) 24 Mar. 2/3: When gurls sez to the Kosher-man, / Why do you run us in? / Instead of bollicking the bloak / Ar takes the Coin of Sin?
1943		A. Lewis Last Inspection 144: The men had been dozey and idle all day. He’d gone around bollucking them right and left.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 121: If the others were ballocking the screw, I’d be as good as the rest.
1965		L. Dunne Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 136: Maureen was crying and at the same time ballocking the life out of Egan for hitting me like that.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 143: At any moment he expected DS Lambert or Mason Allen to come on the air, wanting the word. He’d ballock either one for such a move.
1983		S. May No Exceptions in Best Radio Plays (1984) 123: Always needed bollocking, that kid. No use mothering him.
1993		(con. 1945) S. McAughtry Touch and Go 107: I left feeling simultaneously bollocked and praised.
2001		Indep. Rev. 19 Apr. 1: He’s been bollocked by a pair of plain-clothes officers.
2005		A. Bennett Untold Stories (2006) 132: Thomson and Briggs [...] shirts hanging out and still half-dressed, and so get bollocked by Mr King.
2017		Guardian G2 3 Feb. 7/3: ‘I’d hear them singing and it was like, if one person was out, they’d get bollocked’.
2019		G. Disher Peace 179: Heading [...] into the teeth of another bollocking.

In derivatives

bollockee

s one who is reprimanded.

2016

V. McDermid Out of Bounds (2017) 176: ‘They’ve got no other obvious candidate to bollock so I’m today’s bollockee of choice’ .