Green’s Dictionary of Slang

berries, the n.²

In phrases

give the berries to (v.) (also slip the berries to, give someone the berries) [raspberry n.]

(US) to deride, to insult.

1926		J. Tully Jarnegan (1928) 240: Now, damn her, she can read in all the papers about the guy she slipped the berries to.
1927		B. Hecht ‘Portrait of a Flapper’ in Brookhouser These Were Our Years (1959) 172: These fancy Johns who look like they were the class. But are they? Nix. And don’t I give them the berries quick?
1936		in J. Robinson Comics (1974) 182: ‘What was that??’ ‘Oh somebody givin’ a fighter th’ berries.’ [HDAS].