to break one's stones
01
to persistently and relentlessly bother, tease, or annoy someone, often in a playful or mocking manner
![to [break] {one's} (stones|balls) definition and meaning](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/42798/original/?type=jpeg "to [break] {one's} (stones|balls) definition and meaning")
Idiom
Informal
例
I wish my coworker would stop criticizing everything I do; he's really breaking my stones.
Why does he always have to break my balls about being five minutes late?
02
to put in an extreme amount of effort into doing something
![to [break] {one's} (stones|balls) definition and meaning](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/42992/original/?type=jpeg "to [break] {one's} (stones|balls) definition and meaning")
例
I've been breaking my stones studying for this exam, so I really hope I get a good grade.
Nancy broke her balls to get that article done and the professor just turned her down. That's pretty sad if you ask me.
