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A question out of curiosity. Probably Not Safe For Work.

Often times, I come across this phrase especially in Hollywood movies and sitcoms. Depending on how it's used, it either means that "someone is just messing around/ kidding" with the other person or "someone wants all the nagging/botheration" to stop.

Wiktionary categorizes it as a vulgar slang with the following definitions:

  1. to seriously irritate or nag someone.
  2. to tease or ridicule someone; to take the piss out of someone.

An example would be the following conversation from the movie GoodFellas, between 2 men.

Tommy DeVito: No more shines, Billy.

Billy Batts: What?

Tommy DeVito: I said, no more shines. Maybe you didn't hear about it, you've been away a long time. They didn't go up there and tell you. I don't shine shoes anymore.

Billy Batts: Relax, will ya? Ya flip right out, what's got into you? I'm breaking your balls a little bit, that's all. I'm only kidding with ya...

Tommy DeVito: Sometimes you don't sound like you're kidding, you know, there's a lotta people around...

Source: IMDB

Suppose, the conversation was happening between two women or it involved a woman in the picture, what slang would used in place of "breaking (someone's) balls"?

I feel there might be some colloquialisms/slang that Native speakers would be using. As a non-native speaker, I am intrigued to know what that phrase might be.

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  • 2
    If you wanted a direct opposite, you coooould but probably wouldn't want to say "I'm punting your c***." (I have no problem with the word but I don't want to offend anyone more sensitive than I by writing it out). Mar 14, 2016 at 8:07

5 Answers 5

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Yes. Now stop getting on my tits. From Urban Dictionary,

To be really annoyed by someone or something and to express it in a funny exclamation

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In lieu of a sufficient gender-correct alternative, I've actually heard women use "busting my balls" for themselves, though one's gotta be a pretty tough chick to pull that off.

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  • It's an equal opportunity expression.
    – fixer1234
    Apr 29, 2017 at 17:19
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Busting [someone's] chops is entirely neutral as is getting your goat, and depending on the scenario you might say he's on my ass about this or that...

Busting someone's balls generally, where I live, is more about getting on to someone about something - sometimes just to get a rise out of them, often to take them to task over an issue. Busting chops is generally more to get a rise as is getting someone's goat. So more commonly here, like if you have a harsh boss that is demanding, you'd say he/she is on your ass all the time. I don't hear ball busting very often at all.

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Not really a feminine version, but a somewhat neutral one for definition #2 is roasting. From Urban Dictionary:

To humorously mock or humiliate someone with a well-timed joke, diss or comeback.

I've heard it mostly in the context of, ex, teasing one or both members of the couple during wedding speeches.

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breaking my female balls

Used by the title character on the popular TV comedy VEEP, Season 1, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Recognizing that females don't have testicles, this is a transferred usage of an anyway usually metaphorical usage when applied to males.

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