ball-buster
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Unknown. By surface analysis, ball + buster.
Possibly derived from Yiddish בעל־הביתטע (baleboste, “mistress, lady of the house”), in which case synonyms like ball-breaker and ball-wracker may be secondary derivations. [1] See also Beelzebub for connotations of the same supposed first element. Any deverbal formation conflated with back-breaking may have reinforced the native development. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun[edit]
ball-buster (plural ball-busters)
- (US, vulgar) Synonym of ball-breaker.
References[edit]
- ^ Jewish Language Review, Issue 7. Israel: Association for the Study of Jewish Languages, 1987.