Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a difficult, boring or exasperating job, problem or situation.

1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 333: This stop [i.e. on a delivery round] is a real ball-breaker.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 253: ‘I’ve got a tough one for you.’ ‘I’ll bet you do,’ said McGravy [...] ‘A real ball-breaker, right?’.
2001		J. Baker Shooting In The Dark (2002) 62: ‘This’s a real ball-breaker,’ Dave said to himself.

2. a person who sets difficult work or problems, a hard taskmaster.

1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 22/1: Ball-breaker. [...] 2. A strict disciplinarian; a slave-driver; one who plagues others with requests for favors. ‘No more contracts (favors) for that ghee (fellow). He’s a bitch of a (very persistent) ball-breaker.’.
1957		‘Ed Lacy’ Lead With Your Left (1958) 25: Hate to have you in charge [...] you’d be a ballbreaker.
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 278: At that time the Anglican Church were really ballbreakers.
1972		(con. 1960s) R. Price ‘Big Playground’ in Antaeus Aut. 45: He was Dean of Discipline, Football Coach, and Top Ballbreaker of the school.
1974		(con. 1960s) R. Price Wanderers 14: He was dean of discipline, football coach, and top ballbreaker of the school.
1980		N. Ford I’m Getting My Act Together 19: Olivia Newton-John is not a ball-breaker. Linda Ronstadt is not a ball- breaker.
1992		R. Price Clockers 333: Strike spotted the two Homicides [...] One was the ballbreaker from Shaft Deli-Liquors.
2006		L. Cach Babe in Ghostland 20: ‘Stop being a ball breaker, and give this one a chance.’ [...] ‘That’s the impression I give? A ball breaker?’.
2012		C. Stella Rough Riders 154: The man’s a ball-breaker. A relentless ball-breaker.

3. one who likes to tease.

1973		L. Shecter On the Pad 66: Sullivan [...] was always the biggest ball breaker in the bar. He’d start the fights and I’d have to finish them.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 11: I was a big ball-breaker as a kid.

4. (US black) a tedious, irritating individual.

1971

R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 138: ‘You’re getting to be a ballbreaker, buddee. A real pain in the ass’.

5. a thug.

1975

E. Torres Carlito’s Way 13: Abusadores, we called them — abusers or ballbreakers.

6. a weapon.

1977

(con. 1969) M. Herr Dispatches 60: Doomsday celebs, technomatic projectionists; chemicals, gases, lasers, sonic-electric ballbreakers.

7. (also ball-lopper) a dominating woman, one who destroys the self-confidence of a man.

1964		I. Faust Steagle 230: I won’t take any shit from you or any other ball breakers.
1974		(con. 1960s) R. Price Wanderers 104: ‘Bitch!’ ‘Chippy-chaser!’ ‘Ball-breaker!’.
1976		J. Braine Waiting for Sheila (1977) 12: She can be the world’s worst bitch, but she’s not a ball-breaker.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 11: The ball-lopper across the way shrilled ‘Joe Thomas, bullshit everybody but Cora Brown’.
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 20: If you could see some of the boiler-suited ballbreakers who run our student unions.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 260: And a Vamp. And a Ballbreaker. In the end, though, I’m fingering you for a Femme Fatale.
1995		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 1: ball-breaker – tough, feminist woman.
2001		Guardian G2 29 Mar. 8: To put it bluntly, they were ‘ball breakers’, incapable of ‘obeying’ anyone for a day, let alone a lifetime.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 46: She’s a ballbreaker is what she is. Non-fucking-stop.